Zimbabwe’s cricket team has suffered a humiliating blow after failing to qualify for the 2023 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the only Test-playing nation to miss out on the global event. The team, once a formidable force in international cricket, has been plagued by poor performances, political turmoil, and financial woes in recent years, leading to its downfall.
Zimbabwe was expected to breeze through the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier, held in Namibia in November 2023, but instead lost two of its first three matches against Namibia and Uganda, effectively ending its hopes of reaching the main stage of the tournament. Zimbabwe’s captain Sikandar Raza described the loss to Uganda as “one of the worst games that I have ever been associated with in a Zimbabwean jersey”.
Zimbabwe’s coach Dave Houghton, a former captain, and batting legend, was equally dismayed by the team’s performance, saying they got “everything wrong” and were “awful”. He said he had no idea why the team failed to live up to its potential, despite training hard and having enough energy.
Zimbabwe’s cricketing crisis has been brewing for a long time, as the country has faced political and economic instability, corruption, and human rights violations under the rule of former president Robert Mugabe, who was ousted in a coup in 2017. Zimbabwe Cricket, the governing body of the sport, has also been marred by mismanagement, infighting, and debt, leading to the suspension of its ICC membership in 2019 for government interference. The suspension was lifted later that year, but the damage was done.
Zimbabwe has not played a Test match since February 2023, when it lost to West Indies by an innings and 176 runs in Bulawayo. It has also failed to qualify for the last two editions of the 50-over World Cup and has not won a bilateral series against a Test-playing nation since 2014. Zimbabwe’s players have often gone unpaid or underpaid, and have threatened to strike or boycott matches on several occasions. Some of the country’s best players, such as Brendan Taylor, Kyle Jarvis, and Sean Williams, have retired or opted to play in other leagues.
While Zimbabwe’s cricket fans have been left disappointed and disillusioned by their team’s decline, Uganda’s supporters have been celebrating their historic achievement. Uganda, a country with a population of over 40 million and a cricketing history dating back to 1914, has qualified for its first ever senior World Cup in either format, after beating Kenya and Rwanda in the Africa Qualifier. Uganda’s players danced and chanted in the outfield after their victory, cheered on by their coach Ogwang Jackson Oyuku.
Uganda, ranked 22nd in the ICC T20I rankings, will join Namibia as the two African representatives in the 2023 T20 World Cup, to be held in the West Indies and the United States. Uganda will face some of the world’s best teams, such as India, Australia and England, in the round-robin stage of the tournament. Uganda’s captain Brian Masaba said qualifying for the World Cup was “massive” for Ugandan and African cricket, and hoped to inspire other associate nations to follow their example.
The 2023 T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams, including the top eight teams from the 2022 edition, which was won by Australia. The tournament will begin on 4 June to 30 June 2024, with the final to be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Source: Fox Sports
