Sydney Morning Herald
18 June 2010
By Jamie Pandaram
ZIMBABWE’S Sports Minister David Coltart is desperately hoping his nation’s cricket board will endorse John Howard’s nomination as vice-president of the International Cricket Council, and will urge them to support the former Australian prime minister.
Coltart fears that any move to block Howard’s ascension to the game’s second-highest post could further harm Zimbabwe’s shaky standing in cricket.
Cricket Australia, who nominated Howard, made it clear to Coltart during a meeting on Wednesday that Zimbabwean opposition may jeopardise any future dealings.
Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe has a fierce dislike of Howard, who was critical of his regime while leading Australia and in 2007 ordered the national side not to tour Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka and managing director Ozias Bvute have links to Mugabe.
”There are elements who are antagonistic towards John Howard, but ultimately the discussion by the board must ask, ‘Are we in the business of making friends and building strong relations, or are we in the business of alienating ourselves?’ ” Coltart told theHerald.
”Ultimately, the government can not interfere with Zimbabwe Cricket’s discussion, I can’t as the Sports Minister, under our laws. I think they are going to be pragmatic – I can’t guarantee it, but I think they will.”
Coltart has already managed to convince New Zealand – who agreed to Howard’s nomination after initially recommending their own man, Sir John Anderson – to play Tests against them next year.
Zimbabwe is the only one of the ICC’s 10 member nations without a Test team, having been stripped of the right following a number of irregularities in their financial dealings of ICC funds, and political turmoil.
They will re-enter the Test arena against Bangladesh before hosting New Zealand, a huge step forward.
Coltart said Zimbabwe was not ready to face the Australian Test side just yet, but is working on an exchange that would see Australia A tour his nation next year, and Zimbabwe A visit Australia.
”Sport goes way beyond just cricket, there is an understanding that if, for example, Australia A come to Zimbabwe, well that rebrands Zimbabwe in a very positive light, and helps in luring those in business who want to invest, and tourists,” Coltart said.
Coltart said he hoped Howard would meet with Chingoka and Bvute. Coltart is a founding member of the Movement For Democratic Change, the political organisation that formed a joint government with Mugabe’s Zanu-PF. How democratic the nation truly is will be determined by the end of next week, when Zimbabwe Cricket is expected to announce its stance on Howard, apparently free from political persuasion.