Interview with ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani

[Tristan Holme]

Good people of the forum. How!

As some of you may know, Liam Brickhill and I have been working on a book on Zimbabwe cricket. There's still a lot of hard yakka ahead of us, but we have a lot of great material and the project is pretty exciting. Also, we've now launched a book blog, where we'll be posting our witterings about Zim cricket that don't appear elsewhere.

And to begin with, I've spoken to ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani. Some of his plans for domestic cricket speak directly to Dav Whatmore's concerns that he aired in our interview that went up on Cricinfo yesterday. I don't know how realistic they are with a debt of $19m, so the proof will be in the pudding.

I'm also not sure I agree with his opposition to the two-tier Test plan. It seems to me that Zimbabwe need guaranteed game time to improve, not the odd scrap of cricket against stronger sides.

Here's the interview in full: https://zimbabwecricketbook.wordpress.c ... mukuhlani/

[maehara]

I don't know how realistic they are with a debt of $19m, so the proof will be in the pudding.

And that answers the question I was going to ask when you mentioned the new domestic structure in the other thread.

When Mukuhlani was voted in, IIRC the feeling here was that:
- Manase had been doing good work in charge of ZC and that Mukuhlani would undo at least some of that; and that
- the sudden 'changing of the guard' could be interpreted as underhand maneuvering.

Don't know if your interview was in person or by email, but: did you get any feeling for any genuine feeling from him for the game as a sport (i.e. is he a fan?) and the game's condition in Zimbabwe?

[ZIMFAN]

Good people of the forum. How!

As some of you may know, Liam Brickhill and I have been working on a book on Zimbabwe cricket. There's still a lot of hard yakka ahead of us, but we have a lot of great material and the project is pretty exciting. Also, we've now launched a book blog, where we'll be posting our witterings about Zim cricket that don't appear elsewhere.

How! Enjoy both of your work, excited to read the book when it comes out.

[sixes fan]

and what will this solve, the real problem is player
retention & player selection, how do we have guys
like handirisi in franchise cricket they are clearly out of
depth & you have guys like calum price not getting
game time. Right now we have a guy bowling 122 - 126 k
in a test against nz as our strike bowler really & we
have 19 year old kids who have cracked 140 wt hell
is happening ?..I'll wait for the board ? we need a
coach as early as yesterday nxaaaa zc
thanx again tristan for the efforts but can you pliz
ask him if you can about player retention & selection
into those provincial sides eg why is murray , matigimu
ives not even in zpl ?

[Tristan Holme]

I don't know how realistic they are with a debt of $19m, so the proof will be in the pudding.

And that answers the question I was going to ask when you mentioned the new domestic structure in the other thread.

When Mukuhlani was voted in, IIRC the feeling here was that:
- Manase had been doing good work in charge of ZC and that Mukuhlani would undo at least some of that; and that
- the sudden 'changing of the guard' could be interpreted as underhand maneuvering.

Don't know if your interview was in person or by email, but: did you get any feeling for any genuine feeling from him for the game as a sport (i.e. is he a fan?) and the game's condition in Zimbabwe?

I spoke to him on the phone, which does give a sense but also has its limitations. He's been involved in cricket for a long time now (since 2000), and he did seem genuine in his desire to improve things. That said, a lot of his comments betray a lack of a deeper understanding of the game and what it takes to run a successful structure and team (e.g. his Whatmore v Inzamam analogy when asked about Ntini's qualifications).

I agree with the general feeling that you mention. There is undoubtedly underhand maneuvering involved in Zim cricket politics, which you could argue is the single biggest problem since it means that the people who win these scraps for power are rarely the ones with the best qualifications to take the game forward. The knock-on effect from that is huge. The attitude of ZC towards the players, selection, finance, development all stem from that, creating the problems that we all discuss so often, and which sixes fan has touched on.

[ZIMDOGGY]

I don't know how realistic they are with a debt of $19m, so the proof will be in the pudding.

And that answers the question I was going to ask when you mentioned the new domestic structure in the other thread.

When Mukuhlani was voted in, IIRC the feeling here was that:
- Manase had been doing good work in charge of ZC and that Mukuhlani would undo at least some of that; and that
- the sudden 'changing of the guard' could be interpreted as underhand maneuvering.

Don't know if your interview was in person or by email, but: did you get any feeling for any genuine feeling from him for the game as a sport (i.e. is he a fan?) and the game's condition in Zimbabwe?

I spoke to him on the phone, which does give a sense but also has its limitations. He's been involved in cricket for a long time now (since 2000), and he did seem genuine in his desire to improve things. That said, a lot of his comments betray a lack of a deeper understanding of the game and what it takes to run a successful structure and team (e.g. his Whatmore v Inzamam analogy when asked about Ntini's qualifications).

I agree with the general feeling that you mention. There is undoubtedly underhand maneuvering involved in Zim cricket politics, which you could argue is the single biggest problem since it means that the people who win these scraps for power are rarely the ones with the best qualifications to take the game forward. The knock-on effect from that is huge. The attitude of ZC towards the players, selection, finance, development all stem from that, creating the problems that we all discuss so often, and which sixes fan has touched on.

so basically,
he means well, but is just a dumbshit.

[eugene]

Better than most Zanoids who don't mean well and are dumb shits.

[jimmylesaint]

Oh Dear!
We know the problem. It's the admin staff that are destroying the game. Recently the attempted ousting of Stan Staddon which has been going on for months fighting Vumi Moyo and Staddon, the former looking to consolidate his power and dominance-- with no regard to cricket---- just a power game. They are ignorant.
How can they have Ntini running around smiling and laughing and not giving a shit about Zimbabwe how come he is the worst coach we have EVER had.
Stanley Timoni can do better!
Tavengwa is clueless but does ask others what is best, which means the blind leading the blind.
Player selection and keeping of players, well no comment. Seems the fatter you are the more chance you have of playing, stand up Chatara,Panyangara,tino,prince.
Lets look at the attitude of getting rid of whites in the game- Brents, most successful franchise, kicked out. Wayne James successful coach at Tuskers, kicked out.
Streak, Flower kicked out. They WANT an ALL BLACK team that is obedient and maybe wins now and then, that is the objective. They are grossly incompetent that any tour is marred by lack of funds because the asshole in charge of the funds is so numbskullingly ignorant of what is required, such as practice balls!!!!! That they just give a little bit of cash at a time. Instead of using a spreadsheet compiled for such an occasion with the fixed costs----i haven't even mentioned the attempts of skimming cash off which adds to the anarchy of rabid piglets in a trough of bond coins.
The latest cuts to the contracts of the lower admin and tech teams will result in more knowledgeable people leaving ZC or grudgingly working there with their 50-80% pay cuts. Meanwhile Esta, Nesta,willie,Makoni,Banda and the rest of the boy band will still be on their $10k plus

Where does Mukuhlani stand in all this??? Where he is told too!!

[Conant]

Lol. You gotta give it to Jimmylesaint. His rants are quite magnificent.

[watermelon]

Jimmy is a nobody and a bigtalker, I don't know why anyone on this forum gives him the time of day, he is wrong on almost everything.

-watermelon.