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icc cals for suspension of zimbabwe in tests.

brockley

International Captain
ICC committee recommends no comeback yet

Zimbabwe's hopes of returning to Tests receives a blow

Cricinfo staff

May 31, 2007



No Test cricket for Zimbabwe until they 'demonstrate the ability' to perform at a good standard © Getty Images




Zimbabwe's hopes of resuming playing Test cricket have been dealt a hammer blow by the ICC Cricket Committee which met in Dubai this week.

The newly-constituted committee, chaired by Sunil Gavaskar, has recommended that the ICC does not allow Zimbabwe to return to the Test arena "until such time as the team demonstrates its ability to perform at a standard that does not risk undermining the integrity of Test cricket". It continued: "In order to be able to judge when Zimbabwe's performance merits a return to Test cricket, the committee felt the team first needed to continue in its current practice of playing a number of representative four-day matches. The committee encouraged the scheduling of such matches against ICC Full Member A teams and Associates with, for example, the inclusion of Zimbabwe in the next ICC Intercontinental Cup."

Although the recommendations still have to be discussed by the ICC executive when it meets in London at the end of June, they will make it much harder for Peter Chingoka, the ZC chairman, to persuade other members that Zimbabwe are ready to resume playing Tests.

It has always been stressed that Zimbabwe's suspension was at their own behest, but there have been increasing concerns that the standard of their side is now so poor as to threaten the ethos of Tests.

Zimbabwe first voluntarily suspended themselves in 2004. They returned to Tests in January 2005 but of eight matches between then and their second withdrawal in January 2006 they lost all but one by massive margins, with the one drawn match being severely disrupted by rain. They have also won only one of their last 19 ODIs.

If the committee's recommendations are accepted then Zimbabwe could be added to the eights countries in the 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup which gets underway next month and runs until late 2008. That would enable them to play four-day matches against the leading Associates as well as other series against A teams.

There is unrest, especially among the Associates, that Zimbabwe continue to be heavily funded by the ICC - they are about to receive US$11.5 million from the World Cup - and yet they do little more - less in some instances - than Associates such as Ireland, Scotland and Kenya who receive a fraction of that money.

I gather the windies tour to zimbabwe will be off.
 

Isura

U19 Captain
This is the right thing to do. I suspect that Zimbabwe will never return to test status. Atleast not in our lifetime.
 

Flem274*

123/5
Thank you Robert Mugabe and co. for amongst other crimes, turning a competitive test team into a mess.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Sounds about right. Until they sort out their internal issues I don't want to see them playing Test cricket.
 

LA ICE-E

State Captain
sad to see them go this far down but they are not playing test right now anyway and playing in the intercontinental cup will help both the associates and zimbabwe.
 

cover drive man

International Captain
It's very sad to see them leave the test stage I feel bad for all of the Zimbabwian fans but I cant say that they didnt deserve it its been ready to happen for years now. Its a sad day for cricket.
 

pasag

RTDAS
Just to clarify here, the newly established Cricket Committee has recommended Zimbabwe not play Tests. This will be considered by the ICC in their meeting in London next month. Nothing has actually happened yet and it's up to the ICC whether to take the Committee's advice or not. The thread title is misleading.
 

LA ICE-E

State Captain
why? it didn't happen yet...lol the ICC CC are recomanding it but yeah it should be like that, but I don't think zimbabwe going to get demotated to associate status though. The ICC needs to handle their pay checks and stuff imo like they do with the associates.
 

LA ICE-E

State Captain
Because the ICC don't have the guts to stand up to Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe Cricket.
No, because ICC doesn't want to get involved in political issues. Why should they listen to the England, Australia New Zealand governments and not the Zimbabwean government?(that does not reflect my views) but the ICC is right to not get involved in political issues. Why recommend? because that's how things are done, they will get discussed and voted upon in the executive meeting, they can't "just do it". Also, the reason they are likely to be suspended now is because of their quality of cricket not because of the political situation nor should any team ever be suspended because of that.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
No, because ICC doesn't want to get involved in political issues. Why should they listen to the England, Australia New Zealand governments and not the Zimbabwean government?(that does not reflect my views) but the ICC is right to not get involved in political issues. Why recommend? because that's how things are done, they will get discussed and voted upon in the executive meeting, they can't "just do it". Also, the reason they are likely to be suspended now is because of their quality of cricket not because of the political situation nor should any team ever be suspended because of that.
The fact of the matter is that politics have spilt over into cricket and that is why a number of leading Zimbabwean players were forced out of the country or were "outlawed" from playing cricket for Zimbabwe. Say what you want about sports and politics not mixing but that's far too idealistic for me.
 

cover drive man

International Captain
Wow I never would have guessed Robert Mugabe was behind ruining Zimbabwes cricket team. Horrible person mugabe his wife spends thousands on clothes while his people starve. But before I start a disscusion which should be in the off topic I'll stop talking about Mugabe.
 

LA ICE-E

State Captain
The fact of the matter is that politics have spilt over into cricket and that is why a number of leading Zimbabwean players were forced out of the country or were "outlawed" from playing cricket for Zimbabwe. Say what you want about sports and politics not mixing but that's far too idealistic for me.
Doesn't matter if politics and sports mix, it's only a problem when the quality of the team is down and that's what happened here. So why should a team be suspended for a evil dictator if the team was still good? They shouldn't but unfortunately the team here has suffered too from this and that is the reason why they are likely to be suspended not because of their government. No matter how much sports and politics mix, the main sports governing body should never get into politics or take sides and make decisions likewise, it should only make decisions regarding the sport and the team not politics.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Doesn't matter if politics and sports mix, it's only a problem when the quality of the team is down and that's what happened here. So why should a team be suspended for a evil dictator if the team was still good? They shouldn't but unfortunately the team here has suffered too from this and that is the reason why they are likely to be suspended not because of their government. No matter how much sports and politics mix, the main sports governing body should never get into politics or take sides and make decisions likewise, it should only make decisions regarding the sport and the team not politics.
My friend you are far too idealistic. If a country has an appaling human rights record like Zimbabwe does and that is one of the reasons for the decrease in the quality of cricketers produced, then I think the governing body of that sport should jump right in and sort things out.
 

pasag

RTDAS
Wow I never would have guessed Robert Mugabe was behind ruining Zimbabwes cricket team. Horrible person mugabe his wife spends thousands on clothes while his people starve. But before I start a disscusion which should be in the off topic I'll stop talking about Mugabe.
There are already a few threads on the matter if you search for 'Zimbabwe'. Quite abit of recent discussion as well because of the Australia boycott.
 

LA ICE-E

State Captain
My friend you are far too idealistic. If a country has an appaling human rights record like Zimbabwe does and that is one of the reasons for the decrease in the quality of cricketers produced, then I think the governing body of that sport should jump right in and sort things out.
No, see you are not getting the point. human rights record and government and other politics etc. should not be a concern for a sports governing body. It should only intervene regarding issue with its sport And yes I know those are the reasons behind Zimbabwe's down fall but the ICC should only intervene when it's a cricketing issue and right now the quality of the team is a cricketing issue and so now is the time they are intervening. What are the ICC going to do anyway? It's not the UN, let the UN and other concerned governments take political actions and let ICC deal with cricketing issues.
 

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