IT is very easy to dismiss Zimbabwe Cricket convener of selectors Givemore Makoni as an insecure racist himself who is trying to safeguard his job by playing the race card against Sports minister David Coltart, just as it is also easy to support the minister’s directives to exclude those who have not played for Zimbabwe from national selection panels.
Independent Sports View by Kevin Mapasure
The problem is very few people are privy to the previous clashes that Makoni has had with the minister over selection issues culminating in the latest spat.
Coltart is a clever man; a lawyer, who has neatly dressed his directives that one would have to meticulously scrutinise them to find fault.
Coltart has told us that his directives compelling all national selectors to have played for Zimbabwe in their respective disciplines is not meant for cricket alone but all national sports.
But it is Coltart’s overzealous passion for cricket which drives him to phone selectors each time they name a squad to question the exclusion of certain players that betrays him.
That Coltart’s directives leave no room for special circumstances such as those of Makoni and assistant Zimbabwe national cricket team coach Stephen Mangongo, who discovered and nurtured half of the current national team including former skipper Tatenda Taibu after establishing Takashinga Cricket Club in 1996, blows his cover.
We should get one thing right here. Makoni is not fighting to remain as convener of selectors, but to safeguard the gains of cricket transformation that Coltart seeks to subtly reverse.
Judging from past selection feuds, it would seem Coltart is trying to use ministerial privileges to sort out a personality issue.
I understand why it’s so easy for Makoni to brand Coltart a racist considering the battle he fought to gain racial equity in cricket.
The Coltart/Makoni issue is purely a personality clash and has nothing to do with cricket.
Coltart has always wanted to get rid of Makoni. The minister decided to fast track his directives after learning of the convener’s decision to omit 38-year old spin bowler Raymond Price from the squad to tour West Indies.
That he could choose the eve of a tour to change the selection panel shows the minister did not want Makoni to be involved in the selection of the touring party and the deadline of February 1 betrays the minister’s underhand dealings.
Zimbabwe is set to leave for the West Indies next month.
Yes; ministers must be hands-on and I commend Coltart for that, but his energetic attempts to micro-manage Zimbabwe Cricket is highly suspicious.
I share yis desire to build a strong winning team, but bringing back people who deserted the game in protest over the blooding in of young and talented black cricketers cannot be the solution.
Zimbabwe’s performance does not reflect Makoni’s competence or lack of it as I know that there are under currencies at play. Those who follow cricket, including the minister, know that the present set up gives too much power to the Cricket Committee chaired by Alastair Campbell. Needless to mention that Campbell is one of the former rebel players who was fiercely opposed to the rapid rate of transformation, but he was still persuaded to return to the game by Coltart.
Campbell calls the shots in team selections but when things go awry, the blame is placed on Makoni. But in the past we have had interference from Campbell on team selection.
Would removing people like Makoni who have never played for Zimbabwe solve the fitness problems of skipper Brendan Taylor? How many times has Taylor failed a fitness test but continues to be included in the side without any qualms from Coltart?
He failed another fitness test before the training squad from which the team to tour West Indies would be selected was named but there was strong support to pick him. By the way, Taylor is not injured at all. He just doesn’t work on his fitness because he knows his place is guaranteed.
Coltart needs to tell the nation why he is pushing for changes ahead of the appointment of a new coach. Mangongo is a favourite for the job together with Grant Flower and Gary Brent.The post becomes vacant when current coach Alan Butcher’s contract runs out in April.
Is this not the same Flower who told The Australian in February 2011 that “life in Africa is very turbulent (and) I’ll always keep my options open”?
All we need are people who will pick the est sides whatever colour composition.
If Makoni is failing on his mandate he should be removed only by his employers ZC.
Such problems as the one we have had this week can be avoided if Coltart allows administrators to run the game without his interference.
Coltart Responds
David Coltart Responds
I am appalled by the article written in today’s Independent by Kevin Mapasure.
I exchanged e-mails with him last week and he could have easily sought clarification, which he never did, never mind speak to me to get balance in the story he has written.
In today’s article he has made some outrageous allegations which are laid out as fact without any proof other than presumably the mere says so of an interested party.
He has totally ignored the statement I issued last week and the subsequent statements issued this week. He has not tried to get comment from people like Col Nhemachena.
For example he makes the statement that the directives were “fast tracked” in response to Zimbabwe Cricket’s selection of a squad of 24 for the West Indies and because, so it is alleged, that Ray Price was excluded.
The SRC directive issued by Col Nhemachena I sent to him last week states clearly that my proposal to the SRC was sent by me to the SRC on the 3rd December last year well before presumably the ZC panel had even met to consider who would be in the squad.
He clearly deliberately left that fact out from an objective source presumably because it was fact that would get in the way of a good story.
Had he spoken to Col Nhemachena he would have found out that there has been no “fast tracking” of this issue. Indeed I was not even aware that Price had been left out of the squad when this furore broke last week and in any event see that Price appears to be in the squad of 24 – so this would appear to be another flagrant fabrication.
He suggests that I am in some form of cahoots with Alistair Campbell again completely ignoring my criticism of Campbell regarding the exclusion of Vusi Sibanda for the New Zealand tour – another well-known fact presumably which got in the way of his desired objective.
I have updated the statement I issued last Saturday to include a response to some of the outrageous allegations made today and I trust that this will be published in full.
Yours sincerely,
David
Senator David Coltart
Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture
www.davidcoltart.com
+263-77-2232397
You are an idiot. I’ve been reading cricket in this paper for many years, and your recent inclusion, with your grade seven writing, is an insult to cricket lovers.
“We should get one thing right here. Makoni is not fighting to remain as convener of selectors, but to safeguard the gains of cricket transformation that Coltart seeks to subtly reverse.”
Your unequivocal declaration that you are *right* in knowing exactly what is in Makoni’s mind gives you away.
Go back to school.
Joe I agree with you here, apart from the poor standard of writing this seems like a biased opinion piece. Allegations and waffle, hinting at personal issues and conspiracies, sounds more like some drunk at the bar than a sports reporter.
Could we please just get cricket to perform? This is the only viable sport we have left and actually we have a talented, able, pool of players who for some reason lack self confidence. It is frustrating and painful to be a cricket supporter in this country because if it’s not the team that’s up to nonsense, it’s the administrators (Coltart, Makoni & Campbell included) who are screwing things up. The only vested interest that should be pursued is that of getting cricket back to winning ways, period!
Kevin, now you are writing like a dimwit. There have been good cricket stories in your paper but this is now garbage. i expect sensational stories like this in herald not here. Next time go to your editor before you run to print.
Our boys have not been performing. It is sad if people just sit back and stop trying hard because they are the ones who democratised Zim Cricket. Why can’t we let go of what happened and move on for the greater good of the national team? Those whites who came to the game did so because they love the game or the country or both, because Olonga a black person who joined the rebellion remained on the and even continued to campaign against the accommodation of Zim cricket by other countries (Refer to Cricinfo articles) at a time when people like Andrew Flower were campaigning for Zim re-engagement and inclusion in international cricket. In order to consolidate the gains of democratisation the Black players needed to remain focused and motivated to excel in the game but they have not. I said before its not about being black—-because the West Indies has disproved that by producing super world class players, but pure lack of commitment and ambition to excel at the highest international level that has affected our. They have been given enough time to improve but are still lacking—- if at all they are regressing from the ambition and zeal which they displayed during the heydays of the Takashinga project. Cricket is played only by a few countries hence it is crucial that we handle “racial/ racist ” issues in a mature and strategic manner otherwise we will be shunned by all, even the Asian countries which helped us so much to get through the period of the “rebellion” without being banished from international cricket as per the agenda of the western cricket playing countries, obviously arising from anger with the noble land reform programme.
this is vry disgusting and pathetic journalism surely not the standards of Zimbabwe independent, go back to school kevin and remember zimbabwe is full of educated people such stories are for cheap newspaper, understand da nature and history of cricket mafana, vry disapointed#
Mr reporter yo view is substandard. So r u saying Col Nhemachena and his team at SRC hv joined the racist bandwagon hoodwinked by the clever Coltart and u and Makoni r the only clever Zimbos to discover this. U talk of a fued that u claim most pple r nt aware of btwm Coltart and Makoni bt u dnt elaborate. Shld we suffer coz Makoni and Mangongo discovered the bulk of the current team who hv nvr achieved much and r nw grey hairing and stil saying they r learning. If yo friends r very good at discovering talent they shld take up a scoiting job or juniour dvlpmnt post they wil b needed most there national team is nt for scouts bt technicals who plot wins with the already developed. Minister fire all these pple. Who wld u prefer to lead tennis Chingoka or Byron black. In cricket Mangongo or Grant Flower. We had a rude awakening in Tennis that wat we all thot was success was just a family called the Blacks (byron wayne and Cara) of which Tennis Zim had no clue hw they came about bt they basked in their glory after their retirement thats wen all crumbled we discovered we only had chidzikwe and nyamande who cant serve or retain return a serve against world number 2000s. Minister Coltart dnt allow history to repeat itself.
Several thoughts…
First, it is worth pointing out that sports persons and governing bodies across most sporting disciplines have applauded this directive as a positive and logical move. It is only in cricket that these complaints have been raised. If there are particular circumstances and genuine concerns relating to the game of cricket then why doesn’t Zimbabwe Cricket simply approach the SRC for an exemption using the proper channels? Coltart has said more than once that the directive is not “cast in stone”. Was it necessary for Makoni to take his grievances straight to the papers before either he or his employers had sought to engage the SRC? Who knows… this whole thing might have been solved amicably without a public spat. Makoni’s reaction and behavior in itself raise some serious questions about his suitability as an administrator.
Second, regardless of the merits of the directive (I defer judgment) I think we should not be quick to attribute sinister motives to the minister. Coltart’s track record speaks for itself – he has been a strong defender of the rights of both black and white Zimbabweans and has fought hard for justice. And of course, who can deny the good work he has done in education on behalf of the poor in our country? Even Mugabe acknowledged that! So I really think we should demand strong evidence before we accuse him of a racist agenda.
Third, many in their comments have pointed out the work that Makoni has done in grooming black players and his achievements at Takashinga. Without doubt he should be applauded and commended for this, and it is truly pleasing to see how cricket has grown in popularity amongst black Zimbabweans. However, I think it is a mistake to assume that Makoni’s contributions to the game will automatically make him a good selector. In fact, it may well be that the opposite is the case. If he has groomed, coached and fought for a lot of the players who are in the mix when it comes to selection, and if those players are viewed as his “products”, then can we realistically expect that he will be impartial when it comes to selection? If a lot of the players he has groomed are selected for the national side it reflects well on him so he has a vested interest. It is somewhat ironic that whilst Makoni has made a big fuss about white selectors whom, he claims, favor white players, he is open to exactly the same charge. Indeed, there have been rumblings about whites and blacks from the southern regions being overlooked. I am not necessarily trying to have a dig at Makoni here – rather, I’m just pointing out that it is human nature to be partial one way or another when we have some kind of vested interest. Therefore I think as far as possible our selectors need to be guys who know and understand the game, and who carry the respect of all players across the spectrum but who also have some distance from the players. Also, the selection panel needs to be balanced in terms of different regions being represented.
really i dnt think anythin bad abt coltart/src directives. hw cme its only cricket which z complainin? its best 2 have former playerz as selectors. makoni & kevin lack objectivity and as 4 kevin’s article its terrible!
I truely stand by Min Coltart’s directives fo the gud of the game and national pride coz guys we are tired of being whipped all the tym. Let former players do the selection coz they hve experiance and they command respect and knows wat is needed at the highest level. Go AHEAD minister.
Coltart you have my total support please bring back the guys who have played the sport for they have the experience. Those who are crying for black empowerment should go and join Kasukuwere and leave cricket to those who know cricket. Mr reporter you lost it by taking sides and you seem to have taken the wrong side wake up my brother we want a winning team now and I think Coltart knows that hence these changes and I am happy because we have a minister who understand sport and to top it up one who understands cricket.
I am a black man , and I agree with you Mr Coltart .
Some of these black people who are in the adminstration of cricket , and also some of them that want to get into the running of the sport , don’t have love for the sport , but they just want to loot.
It is very sensible to have former players selecting because they have the vast experience , and that is what is needed to achieve success.
Kevin , what transformation are you talking of ?
I don’t care whether a black person or white person represents the country , as long as they are selected by merit .
We are worse ( Zim cricket ) than we were in the 90s , so what transformation is there to boast of .
Be abreast with the present times , Kevin .
This is not an era where we judge people according to the colour of their skin.
Wake up Kevin , this is 2013 !
The minister should not criticise the team selection whether its Vusi Sibanda or Raymond Price’s omission. The minister must always give his support to the team selected. Team selection is always riddled with controversy be it soccer rugby and happens in every country.
The reporter attacked the minister and appeared to do a pr piece for Givemore Makoni .
Hi, just wanted to say i liked this article. it was practical. keep on posting.
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