Houghton on revival of Zim cricket
Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 6:36 am
By Paul Munyuki "Herald."
FORMER national cricket captain Dave Houghton is heading back home — after years spent in England — because he believes it’s time to return and play a part in the revival of a game that is very close to his heart.
Houghton is expected to take up a role with the Zimbabwe Cricket board as the director of national coaching and believes former players should be involved to help the country make a quick return to the Test fold.
He believes the time is now right to return home because this is where he was born and has had from a number of people that things are beginning to improve again after a tough period.
Houghton was the first player to captain the Test team and scored 1 464 runs in his 22-match career.
He is expected back home to join the domestic cricket ranks on the technical side of the game.
He has since 2005 been based in England but has been out of coaching since leaving Derbyshire in 2007.
Heath Streak and Alistair Campbell have already bounced back into the domestic game in a major boost for the national game and Houghton believes more players should follow suit.
Zimbabwe withdrew from playing Test cricket in 2005 after most of the experienced players severed ties with Zimbabwe Cricket because of serious differences.
Houghton believes that the past should be buried for the sake of the future of the game.
"We are the ones with expertise and knowledge and there are others who I hear are interested to come back as well," he told Cricinfo.
"It would be a waste not to involve us in the cricket with all the years we have played.
"We need to get good coaches involved and also get matches against A sides and maybe counties.
"That was a very important part of our evolution when we were first getting Test status and it would good to see them (former players) come back.
"I’m not quite sure what it will entail yet but it will be nice to go back to Zimbabwe. I was born there and played there for many years so it would be good to have a role in bringing the game back," said Houghton.
But, Houghton added, the return of the former players to help ZC is not the overall solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe Cricket.
"They need to play sustained, good-quality first-class cricket. The crucial point is to have meaningful first-class cricket and these new franchises that have been formed will hopefully help that.
"I definitely think they are desperate to return to Test level.
"At the moment I see them (Zimbabwe) as being at the level they were before we got Test status.
"In my view they are better than the Associates, but not quite up to Test standard yet so they are in limbo.
"Test cricket is the ultimate goal, Zimbabwe need to get back into the Test arena and the hierarchy out there will have their own ideas, so it would be wrong of me to second guess their plans.
"The door is never closed on anyone. I hear Dion Ebrahim (former opening batsman) is interested in coming back. Zimbabwe Cricket can open the door for them to come back.
"But it’s also pleasing to see that there is a crop of youngsters coming up who have been through the tough times."
While in England, Houghton was involved in some coaching and television commentary but revealed there were other reasons whey he was now coming back home.
"There are a number of reasons I'm heading back, I still have family and property out there. I hear from a lot of people that things have picked up on the ground."
FORMER national cricket captain Dave Houghton is heading back home — after years spent in England — because he believes it’s time to return and play a part in the revival of a game that is very close to his heart.
Houghton is expected to take up a role with the Zimbabwe Cricket board as the director of national coaching and believes former players should be involved to help the country make a quick return to the Test fold.
He believes the time is now right to return home because this is where he was born and has had from a number of people that things are beginning to improve again after a tough period.
Houghton was the first player to captain the Test team and scored 1 464 runs in his 22-match career.
He is expected back home to join the domestic cricket ranks on the technical side of the game.
He has since 2005 been based in England but has been out of coaching since leaving Derbyshire in 2007.
Heath Streak and Alistair Campbell have already bounced back into the domestic game in a major boost for the national game and Houghton believes more players should follow suit.
Zimbabwe withdrew from playing Test cricket in 2005 after most of the experienced players severed ties with Zimbabwe Cricket because of serious differences.
Houghton believes that the past should be buried for the sake of the future of the game.
"We are the ones with expertise and knowledge and there are others who I hear are interested to come back as well," he told Cricinfo.
"It would be a waste not to involve us in the cricket with all the years we have played.
"We need to get good coaches involved and also get matches against A sides and maybe counties.
"That was a very important part of our evolution when we were first getting Test status and it would good to see them (former players) come back.
"I’m not quite sure what it will entail yet but it will be nice to go back to Zimbabwe. I was born there and played there for many years so it would be good to have a role in bringing the game back," said Houghton.
But, Houghton added, the return of the former players to help ZC is not the overall solution to the challenges facing Zimbabwe Cricket.
"They need to play sustained, good-quality first-class cricket. The crucial point is to have meaningful first-class cricket and these new franchises that have been formed will hopefully help that.
"I definitely think they are desperate to return to Test level.
"At the moment I see them (Zimbabwe) as being at the level they were before we got Test status.
"In my view they are better than the Associates, but not quite up to Test standard yet so they are in limbo.
"Test cricket is the ultimate goal, Zimbabwe need to get back into the Test arena and the hierarchy out there will have their own ideas, so it would be wrong of me to second guess their plans.
"The door is never closed on anyone. I hear Dion Ebrahim (former opening batsman) is interested in coming back. Zimbabwe Cricket can open the door for them to come back.
"But it’s also pleasing to see that there is a crop of youngsters coming up who have been through the tough times."
While in England, Houghton was involved in some coaching and television commentary but revealed there were other reasons whey he was now coming back home.
"There are a number of reasons I'm heading back, I still have family and property out there. I hear from a lot of people that things have picked up on the ground."
