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The Herald (Harare)
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Zimbabwe: Campbell Blasts Adminstrators
By Jeffrey Murimbechi, 4 April 2012

Comment

Alistair Campbell, Zimbabwe Cricket's Chairman of the cricket committee, has slammed the national club cricket administrators for slowing down the development of amateur cricketers into the national franchise system.

Club cricket is the life-blood of Zimbabwe Cricket and requires a proper feeder system going into the clubs and the clubs feeding into the franchises -- which is mandatory for the existence of Test cricket.

Campbell blames cricket clubs for their dependency syndrome after the introduction of national franchises.

"What we've done is concentrate on franchise cricket and neglected the very system that makes it possible for people to play franchise cricket," said Campbell.

"When I played club cricket it was totally on a volunteer level. Clubs had members and they paid subscriptions and it wasn't governed by Zimbabwe Cricket. There was a provincial association which gave us the rules and regulations and other playing conditions.

"When club cricket can't go on they blame the franchise and then the franchise blames Zimbabwe Cricket and it's a blame game with no meaningful cricket being played."

Less than a decade ago, funding of clubs was down to the clubs and over the years clubs have started depending on Zimbabwe Cricket for everything including equipment that is within financial reach such as playing balls.

"Right now you have a situation where clubs are being formed with no ground, no constitution -- that's not how you progress," said Campbell.

"You need to have uniform structure that people buy into and you need to have a ground to play cricket, there are grounds available.

"People need to put aside their racial and political differences and work for the greater good which is resuscitating club cricket."

According to Campbell, the Cricket committee has had meetings involving the board discussing the resuscitation of club cricket, even though the motherbody is not mandated to run clubs, it will have to step in and help.

Harare clubs like Takashinga, Old Georgians and Sunrise Cricket can still return to competitive levels.

"Zimbabwe Cricket has nothing to do with club cricket, it is the governing body. They (clubs) are supposed to be self-governing. For you to play the game clubs you have to provide your own balls and lunches.

"That's the way it is in Australia and anywhere else in the world.

"We've sort of gone away from that and say it should be subsidised by Zimbabwe Cricket and that's ridiculous.

"The dependency on Zimbabwe Cricket, year after year, is increasing, places like Harare Sports Club and Old Georgians are benefiting from the grounds men, grounds and facilities there."

Campbell acknowledges the financial demands involved in running any level of cricket.

"Let's be realistic about the money involved in the game, there is too much on the franchises' plate," said Campbell.

"The Old Hararians should take care of Old Hararians and not the Mash Eagles. How can it be the responsibility of Zimbabwe Cricket or Mash Eagles who have supplied grounds-men to a ground like Old Hararians that has been taken over by FBC?

"It's a paradox of the highest order."

Jemisi wrote:There are some points there. Except that in Aus there is plenty of disposable income to manage in club cricket. Since the implosion of the Zim economy there has been very little to go around. It is different to the 90s.