OPINION: Zim’s Under-19 World Cup selection exposes shocking bias and deepening rot

BY TINO MOMBESHORA

HARARE – The raging debate over the selection of Zimbabwe’s team for the forthcoming Under-19 Cricket World Cup has highlighted yet another rot in the game in our country.

The bias and nepotism in the team’s selection is shockingly obvious and blatant.

Clearly, coach Elton Chigumbura has ignored any other players outside his close circles and his own Elton Chigumbura Academy. It’s scandalous, and I not proud to call that squad my national team.

If you are selecting or coaching a national age-group side, you watch the players during the year and select your squad accordingly.

Then from that large squad, you have trials and matches within to select your team.

During the year, you can add promising players, just as you can drop others.

There are two major schools T20 competitions every year, the St George’s College and St John’s College events.  Then also the Watershed College tournament. These are tournaments of exceptional standards, where those involved with the national age-group sides can watch and start selecting the nucleus of their squads.

During the year between World Cups, you then keep training and add or drop as the need arises. The squad could be anything up to 30 players if need be.

Also during the years, you confer with school coaches countrywide if they have anyone worthy. Coaches from such academies as the Alistair Campbell High Performance Programme (ACHPP) can also help by advising selectors on promising players.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) should have an Under-17 coach who is doing the same right now, building up a player base for the next Under-19 World Cup. Likewise, at least Under-14 and Under-15 squads should be doing the same – coaching and nurturing these kids towards the higher age-groups.

Do we still have the Partidges Week trials in December for Under-13s? Look at the history of these trials that were held for decades and you’ll see how this event unearthed future national team stats like your Tatenda Taibus, Brendan Taylors, Mluleki Nkalas, Graeme Cremers, Hamilton Masakadzas – you name them.

If I’m not mistaken, I think the last Partridges event was held when Brian Bennett was the Under-13 captain. Then ZC stopped this tradition for reasons only known to themselves.

I hear a laughable narrative that players mainly from ATS schools “snubbed” trials for this Under-19 squad. When and where were the trials? I’ve spoken with three players who should have so easily made this squad and they knew nothing about trials. Which gifted youngster wouldn’t want to showcase themselves at an event like the prestigious Under-19 World Cup?

Quite clearly, normal procedure and the country’s cricketing heritage have been ignored and discarded. The squad selected for this upcoming Under-19 World Cup has exposed not only bias, but laziness.

This selected side is reliant on four players, who if they fail, we will not get past 100 runs.

I truly hope we do well under the circumstances, and I genuinely feel for the chosen players.

You are not doing them a favour, but a disservice. These boys are active on social media and I hope they are strong enough to withstand talk that others should have been selected in their places.

But you cannot blame anyone else but those responsible for what has brought this furore in the first place.

The national Under-19 team is a very important team, a step away from professionalism and international cricket. When it is being treated as a personal project for the interested of a few with vested interests, you cannot stop fans and concerned citizens from speaking out.

*Tino Mombeshora is a writer, graphic artist and sports fan.