Dave Houghton, the head coach of Zimbabwe’s senior men’s cricket team, has tendered his resignation, effective immediately, amidst the team’s struggle against associate sides. This move comes as a significant shake-up for the team that has recently faced a string of defeats under his leadership.
Appointed in June last year, Houghton replaced Lalchand Rajput ahead of the T20 World Cup Qualifier, injecting a sense of optimism by qualifying for the T20 World Cup in Australia. However, the team’s journey ended in the Super 6 stage in Adelaide, missing out on an automatic spot for the next T20 World Cup.
The Chevrons, Zimbabwe’s cricket team, also faced relegation to the Africa Region Qualifiers for the 20-team World Cup after defeats to Namibia and Uganda. These setbacks were preceded by a failed bid to qualify for the 2023 World Cup in India, with losses to Sri Lanka and Scotland in the 50 overs World Cup Qualifiers.
Further dampening the team’s spirit were the recent home series defeats to Ireland in both T20 and ODI formats.
According to a report by Newsday, Houghton’s decision to resign came just before a crucial board meeting and after a consultative gathering aimed at reversing the team’s fortunes. “Though my coaching of the national team comes to an end, I would love to be involved in other areas,” Houghton stated, reaffirming his commitment to Zimbabwean cricket.
Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the Chairperson of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), acknowledged Houghton’s efforts, noting the need for a new direction. “While recent months have been disappointing, Dave’s work over the past year to rebuild our team’s foundations should not be overlooked,” Mukuhlani said.
ZC has announced that an interim technical team will soon take over for the upcoming series in Sri Lanka, while a committee will investigate the team’s T20 World Cup campaign failures.
