ZIMBABWE CRICKET SHOW ME THE MONEY

Zimbabwe cricketers ended their industrial action against their paymaster after a dispute arose over additional match fees. A week ago they refused to practice for the Pakistan series until Zimbabwe Cricket agreed to their demands. 

The players claimed were the only Test-playing nation, who did not receive match fees on top of their regular salaries, and were also demanding their outstanding wages dating back to July be paid.

The players this time around formed a union to help them appear more organized. Here, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan taylor, Prosper Utseya, Elton Chigumbura and opening batsman Vusi Sibanda where chosen to represent the players by virtue of being senior players.

The newly- formed players union met with their bosses for two days, and a new agreement was hashed out, with sketchy details revealing that both parties met halfway. What the match fees will be is still unknown, but the players asked for US$5,000 per Test match, $3,000 for an ODI and $1,500 per T20. The biggest question though out of all of this is; ARE THE PLAYERS JUSTIFIED TO ASK FOR SUCH AMOUNTS?

Considering the fact that Zimbabwe is yet to impress in the Test arena and their record in the One Day Internationals they aren't any impressive either, better still matches in the T20 spectacle have been nothing short of appalling.  

OFF THE CREASE spoke to one of the representatives Hamilton Masakadza at a post match press conference, who maintained the players deserved the amounts in question. “We are the main product in cricket, we are not asking for what other countries are getting but we are merely asking for the bare minimum” he said.

“Our careers are short ones hence we also feel ZC should be cognizant of that fact. We know things are not as good at ZC but we are playing games and we feel we should be rewarded accordingly. We mean no harm at all to our administrators but just the bear minimum” he added.

One would ask if these players know where ZC is financially (in debt) then why bother? A source close to the ZC financial management department says the organization gets about US$11million at every World Cup competition, which is played every four years.

The source added saying “much as they get this much every four years, their expenses are just outrageous not to mention that there are levies that the ICC takes away from this lump sum. At the end of the day they have about US$6 million, were they will still have to pay the debts they would have amassed in the past four years of running the game”

This organization then has tours to host which we have been made to believe don’t cost anything less than a million per tour. So, just how do these managers keep the game going? Sponsors have shunned the brand after a perennial poor run of form by the same players who are asking for more money.

Much as we can sympathize with the administrators, how did the organization get into such huge amounts of uncontrollable debt? Is it the fact that the franchise system was a failed attempt of professionalizing the game or it’s merely a case of misplaced priorities? All these questions can be answered by the Zimbabwe cricket administration itself.

A player, who asked not to be named, said "We wanted to make them aware we were the only international team that were playing without match fees. Now we will be receiving them.”

When OFF THE CREASE asked of the players union the senior player said "It was something the players put together because we did not have a proper arrangement in the past. The board is now open to the idea of having a player association and we wanted to take that chance”

“There are a lot if issues that crop up in Zimbabwean cricket and without a singular voice it was very difficult for us to get things done. Hence we decided to have one voice,” he added.

It looks like they will get US$2000 per Test match, US$1000 for an ODI and US$500 per T20 outing. ZC is currently clearly in a financial conundrum. ZC's Media and Communications Manager Lovemore Banda confirmed to OFF THE CREASE that an agreement had been reached. " They are signing contracts as we speak,” he said in a telephone interview. "I cannot give you the details of the contracts as this will be incorrect,” he added. 

The country's cricket governing body has shown some intent in cleaning up their financial standing by restructuring and reducing admin staff by laying off people (compensation). The franchise structure which was introduced in 2009 was meant to have been self sufficient leaving most of ZC's finances freed up but the economic situation in Zimbabwe hasn't favored this move. 

The Pakistan series kicked off with the hosts loosing two T20s on 23 and 24 August in Harare then battle will be done in three ODIs and two Tests later on this month down to September.