Internal rifts reopen in Zimbabwe

An internal row has once again emerged inside Zimbabwean cricket, with black clubs in the Midlands province breaking away from the Midlands Cricket Association to form a rebel association after disputed elections last week ushered in new chairman Tim Savory, according to an article in Zimbabwe's Independent newspaper.

The paper reported that the four black clubs were barred from voting in the elections after the outgoing board turned down their application for affiliation. But however, it has come to Cricinfo's attention that the clubs were refused a vote after failing to submit their applications for affiliation within 21 days of the annual general meeting. The clubs are said to have been advised by outgoing MCA chairman Hemant Patel, to draft and submit constitutions "acceptable" to the MCA before they could be affiliated. The clubs, save for one, did not meet the criteria.

There are suspicions that some top Zimbabwe Cricket officials have been fuelling divisions in the province to settle scores with certain personalities within the militant Midlands cricket leadership, and this could be the driving force behind the latest quarrel in the province.

The MCA has been one of the fiercest critics of ZC policy, and still refuses to recognise the new re-branded national body following last year's change of name.