Zimbabwe Cricket Online: Letters

After watching Zimbabwe's shocking performance against Kenya, I have been asking myself: who will take responsibility?

I feel that it is high time that the selectors and administrators take a good look in the mirror and examine their consciences and their integrity. The embarrassing defeat against Kenya is a culmination of two years of political maneuvering within the ZCU where Selectors and board members see cricket as a vehicle for their own ambition and a ticket to sit in the Presidents Box!!

The answer to this is no-one will take responsibility, everyone has too much to lose and therefore we will keep producing players who do not understand the meaning of Pride and Performance.

Zimbabwe cricket has become a victim of its own success and until we have selectors and administrators who have the courage and character to stand up for their beliefs and to take responsibility for their decisions we will keep going backwards. Will Heath Streak resign? Will Ali Shah resign? I don't think so.

In the past it used to be Zimbabwe cricket against the rest, and now it has become Zim cricket against ourselves and I am afraid that it is not a battle we will win, as it breeds selfishness and bitterness.

Finally I would like to say thank you to Andy Flower for his outstanding achievements over the years and wish him good luck in the future.

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TRIBUTE TO ANDY FLOWER

15 March 2003 - for me a day when Zimbabwe's cricket god was crucified by dirty politics. A day when cricket withered but Flower blossomed.

Words shall never ever describe the effort by this cricketer who changed the face of cricket in his country, played the role of saviour for the umpteenth time and who taught me so much apart from cricket.

Andy Flower - the Zimbabwean definition of a superhero - wore on his arm the pride of the nation, the passion to play, the commitment and the hopes of millions suffering there. It will remain a pity that the "show of emotion" at Buffalo Park was cut short by Brian Jerling.

My cricket god, who swears he is just an average cricketer who wants nothing to do with sentimentality `n fairytale endings and all that media hype, had proved a point. He sacrificed his carrier for Zimbabwe's peoples.

Andy Flower's final walk was like a scarred but unvanquished soldier trooping gracefully in his moving pursuit of excellence in spite of the wounds suffered in a long-held war. He sparkles like a dewdrop poised on a beautiful Zimbabwean flower in a garden of world cricket.

This World Cup has seen many heroes but every Indian like me and in fact our own Tendulkar would probably agree that the real heroes of WC `03 are Andy Flower and his comrade Henry Olonga.

As Andy Flower leaves the shores of Harare, it's time for mourning the death of cricket in Zimbabwe. My cricket god has been crucified so it's farewell to cricket for me but the morals, character and mental toughness which I have learnt from Andrew Flower will never ever die.

I salute the real son of Zimbabwe!

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IT'S ALL JUST A GAME

I can't believe it. Within two days of being knocked out of the World Cup we have lost three of our most experienced players. It's a joke. Unbelievable!

If Geoff Marsh isn't caught up the retirement euphoria and decides to stay as coach, this will undoubtedly be his greatest challenge. Turn a team at its lowest into a decent unit without some of the team's best players. Good luck to Geoff.