Breaking: Franchise CEO's

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Link: http://www.cricinfo.com/zimbabwe/conten ... 07537.html

Zimbabwe cricket

Concerns as Zimbabwe's franchise heads are named

Steven Price

June 5, 2009

Zimbabwe Cricket has appointed four of the five chief executives for its newly-created franchises, according to a report in the Independent.

Advertising executive Hugo Ribatika has been named as CEO for Northerns, the largest franchise be based in Harare. Stanley Staddon will run Westerns, who have requested to change their name to Matabeleland Warriors. Givemore Makoni will be in charge of Southerns, and Kenyon Ziehl is boss at Centrals. The only outstanding appointment is that of the Easterns chief executive.

Makoni is the current national team manager while Ziehl is the chairman of selectors. Both have resigned those posts.

Ziehl would almost certainly have had to step down anyway following criticism by an ICC report about the lack of any cricketing pedigree among the selectors. He will be replaced by former South Africa Test player Jackie du Preez, with the panel being made up from one nominee from each franchise.

Critics remain unhappy that while the establishment of new franchises has been heralded as the start of a new, democratic era for Zimbabwe Cricket, the chief executives have all been appointed by the board from those running the existing provincial structure. That itself was formed when ZC abolished long-standing associations and forced through the appointment of individuals known to be supportive of the Chingoka regime.

"We have to see how this works out, but the worry is that this is little more than shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic," one former administrator said. "The same old faces are all here, but while the board is controlled by the elite who have been running it for so long, why should we expect miracles."

Steven Price is a freelance journalist based in Harare

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Ziehl would almost certainly have had to step down anyway following criticism by an ICC report about the lack of any cricketing pedigree among the selectors. He will be replaced by former South Africa Test player Jackie du Preez, with the panel being made up from one nominee from each franchise.

Good decision...As far as my view is concerned, Ziehl has made some mistakes in selection. Like picking uncapped players not for performance but for any other reason, always sticking with players like Dabengwa, Sibanda inspite of not having done anythin notable in international circuit.

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Link: http://www.sundaynews.co.zw/inside.aspx ... 3657&cat=5

Confusion over appointment of franchise CEOs

By Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter

CONFUSION reigns over the appointment of the five franchise chief executive officers by Zimbabwe Cricket with indications that the names of people to fill the posts have already been finalised.


While Ozias Bvute, the ZC managing director confirmed that they have appointed chief executive officers for the franchises, ZC head of media and communications Shingai Rhuhwaya sang a different tune to that of her boss.

“Stanley Staddon will be in charge of the Westerns franchise, in Harare it is Hugo Ribatika, Southerns have Givemore Makoni and Kenyol Ziehl for Centrals” said Bvute who asked to call this reporter back before the end of the interview and never did. He could not be reached on his mobile phone yesterday.

Bvute did not give Sunday Sport the name of the Easterns franchise chief executive officer but reliable sources said radio and television personality Tichafa Matambanadzo is the man tipped to get the post.

It could not be ascertained whether the posts were advertised and how the five got the jobs. If they were not advertised, then definitely basic business practice procedures were not followed.

However, in response to questions sent to her last Friday, Rhuhwaya said the combined provincial boards would appoint the CEOs in consultation with ZC.

“Under the new system, the twinned provincial boards appoint the CEO, albeit in consultation with ZC. The chairmen of the provincial boards have shortlisted candidates and indicated the front-runners to be Hugo Ribatika for Northerns, Stanley Staddon for Westerns, Phillip Senzani for Easterns,Kenyon Ziehl for Centrals and Givemore Makoni for Southerns,” said Rhuhwaya.

Staddon is the chairman of the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association and it is surprising why he has taken up fulltime employment with ZC and it raises a lot of concerns on transparency if Staddon is the chairman of a board that will determine if he is the right candidate for the job.

Ziehl was the convener of the national selection panel and with the International Cricket Council having recommended that people with meaningful first class experience should be in the panel, it was clear that his position was under threat. Makoni was the national team manager and at least has some managerial experience having been the Mashonaland Cricket Association general manager.

If Ribatika and Matambanadzo are appointed it will raise a lot of questions since individuals with a wealth of experience in the game are expected to get those positions.

The imminent appointment of the franchise CEOs has come under heavy criticism from stakeholders in the provinces keen to see the game move forward.

It would be really frustrating for the stakeholders in the five provinces who thought they had a say in who was going to be appointed franchise CEOs. It is a matter of fact, Staddon does not get on well with players and other stakeholders in Matabeleland, so it is yet to be seen how he is going to work with all those people.

In Matabeleland, a committee has been put in place to revive the game in the province. Prominent members of the committee are former Zimbabwe senior national team captain Heath Streak, his father Denis who also represented the country when it was still known as Rhodesia and former Matabeleland fast bowler Ethan Dube.

Heath Streak has already been released from his contract with the unofficial Indian Cricket League and is tipped to take up the position of national Under-19 team assistant coach and Matabeleland coach. With the latest development, it is yet to be seen whether Streak would be keen to get involved as ZC have shown that they are not moving forward after the appointment of the franchise CEOs.

The franchise system would be used as from next season after ZC adopted a recommendation by International Cricket Council to decentralise the running of the game locally. The CEOs were supposed to start work at the beginning of June.

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Link: http://www.sundaynews.co.zw/inside.aspx ... 3723&cat=5

ZC confirms franchise CEOs’ appointment

Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) has confirmed the appointment of the five franchise chief executives in a development that still leaves more questions than answers.


Stanley Staddon (Westerns), Hugo Ribatika (Northerns), Philip Senzani (Easterns), Givemore Makoni (Southerns) and Kenyon Ziehl (Centrals) would be in charge of the five franchises in what sources said it would be a period of seven months.

Staddon was the chairman of the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association, Ziehl was the head of the national selection panel, Makoni was the national team manager, Ribatika is a former news anchor with Zimbabwe Television while information on Senzani could not be obtained.

In an interview with Sunday News last Thursday, ZC managing director Ozias Bvute said the franchise CEOs have been appointed and will report to a yet to be appointed franchise management board. Bvute revealed that the posts were not advertised but the individuals were “head hunted”.

“Advertising is not the only way of recruiting. Because of the time constraints, the five chief executive officers were head hunted and we think those five are the best to run those franchises in the interim, when the contracts expire the posts would be advertised,” said Bvute.

On what exactly were ZC looking for during their head hunting, Bvute said they were looking for individuals with two attributes; knowledge of cricket coupled with a business background.
Bvute defended the move to recycle individuals saying the cricket fraternity is so limited in Zimbabwe and that is why familiar faces were appointed.

Bvute urged all stakeholders in the various provinces to embrace the franchise concept and said some of the franchises have already got down to serious business. ZC head of media Shingai Rhuhwaya said the franchise CEOs were appointed after consultations between the provincial boards in consultation with ZC management.

According to Rhuhwaya, each franchise will get a grant from ZC and will also get extra funds from sponsorship. ZC will do away with national player contracts and each franchise would contract its own players.

On what will happen to ZC employees in the various provinces, Rhuhwaya said they would be re-deployed to the franchises. A lot of questions remain unanswered on the consultation process and its transparency.

Queries would be raised on how Staddon who was the chairman of the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association ended up becoming the Westerns CEO. The franchise system would be implemented as from the next cricket season after ZC adopted a recommendation by the International Cricket Council to decentralise the running of cricket in Zimbabwe.