The Herald
27th July 2014
By Robson Sharuko
AFTER four years in the background, Harare lawyer Wilson Manase stepped into the limelight on Thursday after taking over as Zimbabwe Cricket chairman and immediately promised to battle to stabilise the organisation’s shaky financial foundation. Manase replaced Peter Chingoka, the long-serving Zimbabwe Cricket leader, who decided to step down on Thursday, with a year still to run on his term of office, saying he needed time to provide mentorship to the person who is filling his big shoes.
Manase, who is also a prominent businessman in the capital, has been working closely with Chingoka in the past four years, fighting for the cause of their game, and now has been handed the baton to take cricket forward at a time the game is facing a number of challenges.
In his first wide-ranging media interview, after his elevation into the top post in Zimbabwe Cricket, Manase told The Saturday Herald that he was bracing for the big challenge and was confident that he had the right team to help the game take a huge leap forward.
“We face challenges and one of the big ones would be to try and stabilise our financial position,” Manase said.
“If we stabilise and improve our financial position we will then be able to also work to improve our game, creating a large pool of talented players who will be there, ready to take on the challenge of playing for the national teams.
“We have a mandate to try and spread the game, as much as possible, to all parts of the country so that anyone, any Zimbabwean child, no matter his race, can dream of playing cricket and taking this game as a career.
“Obviously, we can’t do it alone and we will need the support of everyone across the board to improve our game, improve the quality of our players, the quality of our coaches and, ultimately, the quality of the game that we will be displaying, through our national teams, to the world.”
Manase said there were going to be some changes, in the administrative structures of the game, in a grand vision to try and breathe life into Zimbabwe Cricket.
“We will, going forward, propose certain changes in our administration structures,” Manase said.
“This will also see the re-organising of our committees so that we bring in the efficiency that we are looking for and which is expected from us.
“I always believe that one should not remain in one position for a very long time, especially in sport, because there is a danger that person could lose a bit of steam and I want to see all-rounders, people who can deliver in different capacities within our committees and administration, people who can respond to a fresh mandate.
“The ultimate goal is to deliver players and a product that we can all be proud of and I am sure that, if we work together as a team, we can achieve a lot at the end of the day.”
The new ZC chairman said he would like to see, within the short-term, an engagement being made with the England and Wales Cricket Board to see how their two organisations can build bridges after years of a frosty relationship.
England have not played Zimbabwe, in a cricket series, for more than a decade and ZC leaders estimated that they have lost more than US$20 million from that impasse.
“Going forward, as a board, we would like to engage every board and England are one of the cricket nations and we want our players to play all the big cricket nations in the world, that is the only way that they can get better because the exposure can only be found in competing.
“We have no ill-feelings against anyone because our mandate is to try and ensure that we manager a cricket family that is moving forward.”
Manase also paid tribute to Chingoka and the board for the manner they handled the transition.
“The change of leadership was done in a very democratic manner and there was unanimity on the board on everything that we were doing at that meeting,” said Manase.
“Peter Chingoka felt that with one year of his term remaining, and with him not standing next year, he felt that it was important that he retires now and use the remainder of the year to impart his experience, knowledge and contacts, here and around the world, gained from 22 years of leading this organisation, to the new leadership.
“I have gained quite a lot of experience working with him and I have also come to know a lot of people, around the world, the key contacts you need as part of the leadership of the game, from the international meetings that we were attending in the last four years.
“I also need to get further guidance, in other spheres, to carry other duties needed in leading this organisation and Peter is the right man because his experience is priceless.
“I am happy that the board also appointed a woman as the vice-chairman, which was important, given that we have a growing female arm in our game and I was delighted that this was approved unanimously.
“We have a big job at hand but every job, no matter how huge, has to be done and we are confident that we will play our part and make a difference.”
Of course, there will be dissenting voices, and one of them was a familiar one with former Sports Minister, David Coltart, saying there was nothing to celebrate in Chingoka’s exit.
“Chingoka’s exit frm (from) #ZimCricket is nothing to celebrate given he’s been replaced by Manase who, whilst a nice guy, has never played the game,” Coltart posted on his Facebook page.
“Massive changes in Zimbabwe cricket? Not really – perhaps just a faster decline to oblivion.”
But others disagreed with the former minister, with Thammy Moyo, posting a reply on the same thread:
“Playing the game is not necessarily a pre-requisite to efficiently run the institution.
“That’s why they have coaching staff right?”