Still battling to be heard

Malcolm Speed: what about his zero tolerance on corruption? © Getty Images

The ongoing failure of the interim Zimbabwe Cricket administration to resolve the issue of the new constitution has come under fire from a group of former administrators headed by Charlie Robertson.

Robertson was a senior figure inside Zimbabwe cricket until he and several associates were effectively ostracized by the new ZC administration. They have continued to voice their opposition to the Peter Chingoka-led board despite being ignored by senior ICC officials.

In an open letter to the government's Sports & Recreation Committee, which was copied to Percy Sonn, the ICC's president, and Malcolm Speed, the chief executive, Robertson said that the "proposed new constitution seems to be in the process of being steamrolled through without the involvement of the stakeholders. Only the handpicked few new appointees, with little or no cricket pedigree, answerable to and controlled by the current cricket hierarchy are apparently going to decide what is best for the cricketers and stakeholders.

"This is despite the fact that at the ICC meeting, held recently in Mumbai, Sonn stated that when the proposed new ZC constitution and board was constituted it should be 'inclusive rather than exclusive'."

The SRC has shown its displeasure at the way ZC has handled the issue of the new constitution in recent months, and a scheduled meeting last weekend which should have passed it was cancelled at short notice after the SRC expressed concerns at the way some issues had been addressed.

Robertson and his associates have claimed for the last year that the decision to scrap the old constitution was in itself unconstitutional. "All current provincial boards have been appointed before any consultation was ever held with all stakeholders," he wrote. "The current rush and scramble for positions without any constitutional procedure being followed is probably due to the fact that the World Cup scheduled for the West Indies in March 2007 is now imminent. The World Cup comes with an enormous "Cash Honey Pot" for all those in top positions to get their hands on, often at the expense of the players, without whom we will have no cricket to speak of."

The appointment of many people with no cricketing pedigree has been a source of widespread complaint, and the omission of most people who had until last year been at the heart of Zimbabwe cricket just added to the feeling among some that the game had been hijacked.

Repeated appeals to the ICC to intervene had almost all been ignored, and when an ICC fact finding group, led by Sonn, visited Zimbabwe in July, many felt that it was a purely cosmetic exercise and that their views were marginalised in an attempt to paper over the situation. Some of the more vocal critics accused Sonn of having too many associations with Zimbabwe to enable his report to be considered truly impartial.

Robertson added that a number of other issues remain unresolved, most notably the long-awaited independent forensic audit which followed accusations that large sums of money were unaccounted for. Although a local firm were appointed earlier this year, nothing more has been heard and requests to Zc for more information draw blanks.

"The then legitimate provincial chairmen also requested the forensic audit in October 2005, as well as the ICC and the SRC," he claimed. "It boggles the mind ... one of the major points (terms of reference) in the mandate to the interim board by the SRC, within a specific time limit, was to produce this forensic audit. This appears to have been conveniently forgotten in the current rush to bulldoze a new constitution into existence.

We await advice from ZC as to how income, earned from the recently ended ICC Champions Trophy, has been judiciously spent for the betterment of cricket

"How can we allow people to stand in an interim national cricket board while those same people are accused of poor governance, misappropriation of funds, corruption, exchange control violations and financial and operational mismanagement?

"It is well documented that the finance sub-committee never sat to sign off last year's financial accounts and this year's accounts have not yet been presented. This along with no forensic audit insisted on by the SRC. How can we have any SGM without these financial reports to table?

"It is already a talking point amongst stakeholders as to how the revenue earned by the £1,000,000.00 outside broadcasting unit purchased by ZC now covering beauty pageants in Tanzania etc. has been accounted for? In addition to this can the 70 (approximately) ZC vehicles be accounted for? Are we to presume that no one cares about these outstanding financial issues?

"We await advice from ZC as to how income, earned from the recently ended ICC Champions Trophy, has been judiciously spent for the betterment of cricket.

"Speed has recently stated that there is "Zero Tolerance on Corruption" by the ICC. Why are we not pursuing this forensic audit that should be undertaken by an international reputable firm, not appointed by the very people who stand accused? The then legitimate chairmen insisted on this before they were forcibly removed from office by the SRC. Silence on this matter would beg the question as to whether the SRC condones or supports this corrupt activity.

"In closing we have to voice our concern at the continuing decline in the standard of cricket now being played. We have, this year, not had a first-class cricket structure and no students have gone through our cricket academy. Surely these are prerequisites of all test-playing nations?

Our 1st League Club Cricket is of an appalling standard and discipline continues to be of concern. The league teams comprise of predominantly schoolboy cricketers (who one day may make a name for themselves on the international arena) but are very young and inexperienced. In addition to this we are informed that the annual U13 inter-provincial tournament, organized annually by Mr. R Pettifer every year, is not taking place this year, as there are no funds available! This is disappointing."

Many of the arguments have been made before but that does not lessen the concern that should result from the views of senior and experienced administrators.

Sadly, few expect the ICC to take a blind bit of notice. Previous pleas have been ignored and this one will probably meet the same fate. And inside Zimbabwe, there is little opposition left in any position of influence within the board. That, however, does not make the situation any less serious.