Chingoka Explains Zim T20 Decision
Chingoka - Financial Loss To Great.
Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka revealed the decision to pull out of the 2009 World Twenty20
in England was taken after considering the huge financial losses all parties would have incurred had it been moved.
The England and Wales Cricket Board - and many of their counterparts around the world - breathed a sigh of relief today when it was confirmed Zimbabwe intend to withdraw from the second Twenty20 tournament.
The announcement followed days of frantic negotiations between delegates at the International Cricket Council annual meeting in Dubai, after the ECB last week banned Zimbabwe from their scheduled tour of England early next summer.
With the World Twenty20 due to immediately follow that series, instruction from Gordon Brown's Government was that Zimbabwe's cricketers would be unwelcome for the high-profile event - on account of the human rights abuses perpetrated in their country under the regime of president Robert Mugabe.
Resolution to the crisis was not forthcoming as ICC deliberations extended into an unplanned third day, with India thought sure to block any suggestion of stripping Zimbabwe of their full member status.
Instead, though, Zimbabwe Cricket themselves averted the collision course by agreeing to pull out.
Chingoka felt the fact the losses would have extended not just to England but to the ICC and the other nine full members was too big a burden.
"We opted out because we are not guaranteed visas for the tournament and why would we force ourselves to a wedding where we are not wanted - we don't want to be gatecrashers," he said.
"We made a decision that is in the best interests of the game because everyone would have lost out financially had the event been moved elsewhere at this late stage.
"The ICC is already committed to global partners through pre-sold commercial rights and to undo the whole process at this stage would have prejudiced not only the ECB but it would have directly affected financial returns, from the event, to all members.
"Members would get much less revenue - compared to what's on the table now - had the event been taken elsewhere because no other country matched England in terms of financial returns.
"Also there would have been punitive claims from companies that got pre-sold rights on the basis that the tournament was being held in England.
"So on looking at these scenarios Zimbabwe could not push wholesome demands (to remain a full member and also take part at the Twenty20 World Cup) in the interests of everyone."
And Chingoka was able to take positives from the outcome.
"It was a major breakthrough for us after losing the support of Cricket South Africa because in the end we kept all our rights intact and also protected our revenue base," he said, before looking ahead to future series.
"Sri Lanka are willing to come to Zimbabwe in November while the West Indies are also interested to come and help us identify our needs to enable us return to Test cricket soon. We will be playing with friendly boards who want to play us."