da doce： Zimbabwe go into their series of two Tests against the West Indies,starting here tomorrow, against a troubling background of racial andadministrative problems
Tony Cozier18-Jul-2001Zimbabwe go into their series of two Tests against the West Indies,starting here tomorrow, against a troubling background of racial andadministrative problems.The latest manifestation followed last weekend’s annual generalmeeting of the Mashonoland Cricket Association, the largest member ofthe Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU), when ten black and Indian clubspulled out and announced their intention to form a breakaway league.Stephen Mangongo, a spokesman for the aggrieved clubs, charged thatwhite members had used their 26-22 numerical advantage at the meetingto vote black nominees out of office.We have Blacks who have done well in administration for Mashonolandand national cricket, as well as Indians, he said. And then to comeand suddenly vote them out of office and look for some little blackkids with no proven track record is against development.Chief executive David Ellmann-Brown acknowledged yesterday that theZCU, the governing body for Zimbabwe cricket, was concerned about theramifications of the situation.It is naturally worrying and we are attempting to put things togetherto reconcile the differences, he said.Signs of trouble were evident in the first match of the triangularOne-Day series June 23 when Heath Streak quit as captain over thecomposition of a six-member selection panel that excluded him andcoach, former Australian fast bowler Carl Rackemann.Streak relented when he and Rackemann were included. But it upset theequal racial balance of the panel and three non-white members quit.They returned when Streak’s father, Dennis, resigned because of theconflict of interest. Rackemann has since announced he will quit hispost next month to return to Australia.A few days later, Andy Flower, the team’s leading batsman and ratedNo.2 in the world rankings after an outstanding year in 2000, referredto problems within Zimbabwe cricket when receiving the Sportsman OfThe Year award in Harare.He claimed there were no racial difficulties within the Zimbabwe teamour cricketers do not see colour and said it could be an example tothe country at a time of racial, social and political conflict.Peter Chinkoka, the black president of the ZCU, took issue with someof Flower’s remarks, emphasising that it was vital faster progress bemade on the integration of the majority black population into the gamein Zimbabwe.