THE International Cricket Council’s new Elite Umpires and
Referees Panel, and Sikanda Raza’s recruitment by the Amsterdam Knights for
Euro T20 Slam, have sparked questions if the organisation’s sanctions are being
targeted only on the black local cricketers and officials.
Yesterday, the ICC unveiled their new Elite Umpires and
Referees Panel, and it features Zimbabwean match referee Andy Pycroft, a
veteran who has officiated in 69 Tests, 175 One Day Internationals and 76
Twenty20 Internationals.
The 63-year-old Pycroft was a member of the pioneer’s group
of Zimbabwean cricketers, who also included current interim chief executive
Vince Hogg, who shocked the globe by beating Australia in an ICC World Cup
match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, England, in 1983.
‘’The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Michael
Gough of England and Joel Wilson of the West Indies in the Emirates ICC Elite
Panel of Umpires for the season 2019-20 following the annual review and
selection process,’’ the ICC said in a media statement.
‘‘Gough and Wilson have been elevated from the Emirates ICC
International Panel of Umpires by the selection panel consisting of ICC General
Manager – Cricket, Geoff Allardice (Chairman), former player and commentator
Sanjay Manjrekar, and match referees Ranjan Madugalle and David Boon.
‘’The other members of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of
Umpires are Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney,
Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Paul
Reiffel and Rod Tucker.
‘’The Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees remains
unchanged with David Boon, Chris Broad, Jeff Crowe, Ranjan Madugalle, Andy
Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath the seven officials on that
list.’’
But, just days after barring Zimbabwean umpire, Langton
Rusere, from officiating in the bilateral series between the Windies and India,
because of the suspension they have imposed on Zimbabwe Cricket, the ICC’s
silence in attaching any issues, relating to this country’s suspension, to
Pycroft’s retention on their elite panel of match referees, is deafening.
‘’As it stands, the message from the ICC appears to be that
all is well with Pycroft and, as and when he is needed, he can be assigned to
be the match referee for any of the international cricket matches,’’ sources
said.
‘’Maybe, one would have expected some qualification that,
because of Zimbabwe suspension, Andy remains part of the elite panel but will
not officiate at any matches, for the time being, that would have cleared the
air in some way and the silence has got people talking.
‘’This, coming just a few days after what happened to
Langton, is what makes it all difficult to understand whether all these
sanctions are only targeted at the Zimbabwean black players and officials
because they are the only ones who has, so far, suffered from them.’’
And, this conspiracy, or whatever it is, will also be
fuelled by how all-rounder Raza also appears to have escaped the sanctions
after he was drafted into the Amsterdam Knights team for the Euro T20 Slam set
to start next month with his team taking on Rotterdam Rhinos.
Raza’s name still features on the official Amsterdam
Knights squad. The ICC confirmed on their website that the Euro T20 Slam
is a tournament they have sanctioned after they posted an article confirming
the advisers of the tourney.
‘’A respected chairman of the International Cricket Council
Cricket Committee, (Anil) Kumble has been joined by fellow former India captain
Dilip Vengsarkar, Pakistan’s legendary all-rounder Wasim Akram and Australian
great Dean Jones as advisers for the inaugural ICC-approved tournament,’’ the
ICC said.
The ICC will probably shrug off accusations that their
sanctions are targeted on the black members of the domestic cricket community
by responding that, after all, they have ordered that the suspension of an
all-black leadership of Zimbabwe Cricket, elected at the last annual meeting of
the organisation in Victoria Falls, should be nullified.
They will probably say they have been calling for Tavengwa
Mukuhlani, the suspended ZC chairman, to be reinstated to his post which is now
being occupied by Dave Ellman-Brown who was appointed by the Sports and
Recreation Commission.
The other key member of the suspended ZC leadership, acting
managing director, Givemore Mangongo, has also been replaced by Vince Hogg and
the ICC could possibly argue that, given they have been insisting on their
reinstatement, any accusations their sanctions are targeted at the black
community in domestic cricket are not true. But, it’s also true that, so far,
only the black players and officials have
been barred from their international assignments by the ICC
since the suspension of Zimbabwe Cricket.
Lady Chevrons captain Mary-Anne Musonda and three of her
teammates – Anesu Mushagwe, Tasmeen Granger and Sharne Mayers – are all black
cricketers and were barred from taking part in the Women’s Global Development
Squad in England to feature in a series of T20 games.“As I’m sure you are
aware, the ICC Board has taken the decision to suspend Zimbabwe Cricket with
immediate effect and place a restriction on the Zimbabwe national team
participating in ICC events,” ’’ICC Women’s Cricket Manager Holly Colvin wrote
in a letter to the four players and their coach.
“Unfortunately this (the suspension) also extends to their
participation in the Women’s Global Development Squad program, and so it is
with great regret that I write to inform you that Adam as Head Coach and the
four Zimbabwe players will no longer be able to take part in the UK edition of
the tour next week,’’
The all-black Lady Chevrons are also set to miss the ICC
Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in Scotland from from 31 August to 7
September 2019. Herald
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