Failure to qualify for 2019 WC marks saddest moment for once promising Zimbabwe cricket

While the Caribbeans’ qualification for the World Cup was more or less sure, Afghanistan’s turnaround in the tournament in which they lost their first three matches was pleasantly surprising. But the biggest let-down were Zimbabwe who lost a must-win game against the United Arab Emirates by just three runs as per the Duckworth-Lewis Stern method in front of their home crowd. This defeat meant the Zimbabweans lost the race to World Cup 2019 to Afghanistan by a solitary point.

Zimbabwe stunned Australia in their very first WC game; scared India too

This is the lowest point that Zimbabwe’s cricket has reached following a steady decline over the last decade and half. The African side had made a dream debut in the quadrennial tournament in 1983 when Duncan Fletcher’s men had stunned Australia by 13 runs. They also had India, the eventual champions, in the coffin in Tunbridge Wells but could not find the nails, thanks to a superlative batting performance by Kapil Dev.

Zimbabwe also produced a gritty show against the Australians in another group game but could not give the finishing touches due to lack of experience. But the side, which is experienced than even the continental best South Africa in the world cup, gave indications that they did not come just to see but also had the firepower in them to go the distance.

Zimbabwe shone in bits and pieced between 1987-96 World Cups

Zimbabwe had come close to yet another giant-slaying in their first game of the next world cup in 1987 but lost to New Zealand by just three runs. They did not win a single game in this edition but gained experience for the days to come.

In 1992, Zimbabwe started off well in the world cup played in Australia and New Zealand by posing a 300-plus score versus Sri Lanka with debutant Andy Flower hitting an unbeaten ton but could not again finish it off because of a breezy inning from Arjuna Ranatunga. The men in red, however, did not return empty-handed in this edition as they beat England by nine runs in their last game.

The 1996 edition in the sub-continent saw Zimbabwe winning just one game and that too, against the debutantes Kenya.

And then they rocked in the 1999 WC and did well in the 2003 edition as well

However, it was in the next two world cups – 1999 and 2003 – that Zimbabwe showed their mettle. The team had gained considerable experience by now and the presence of quality players like Neil Johnson, Murray Goodwin, Henry Olonga, Heath Streak besides the Flower brothers and Alistair Campbell gave it a much-needed balance.

In the1999 edition, Zimbabwe had beaten India and South Africa in the group stages and gave Australia a scare in the Super Six stages and ended up above India in the final points table. The 1999 edition was the best campaign that Zimbabwe had in any world cup.

Zimbabwe, at that point of time, had a decent supply line of players to replace the generations of the David Houghtons who had given them the initial taste of success in international cricket. The likes of Dougie Marillier could have been an excellent player in the Indian Premier League (IPL) because of the innovative batting he knew. But the country’s talent supply line got snapped thereafter and it was a decisive blow.

In the 2003 edition, too, which was also co-hosted by them along with South Africa and Kenya, Zimbabwe made the Super Sixes but they did not beat any top team in this edition and even got a walkover from England who decided to boycott them for political reasons. In the Super Six stage, Zimbabwe did not win any game and even lost to Kenya, the sensation of that year’s world cup.

But the 2003 world cup also marked a watershed in Zimbabwe’s cricketing fortunes and the side, who had once looked a promising one after the Proteas from Africa, started sliding down.

Political excesses hurt Zimbabwe cricket

The main reason for this decline was political. A country’s success in any field depends on its political and economic fortunes and the excesses that Zimbabwe’s post-colonial leadership of Robert Mugabe engaged in laying the foundation for a complete disaster. The whites were targeted and blacks were promoted more in cricket and it harmed the country’s talent pool.

The 2003 world cup had seen established players like Andy Flower and Olonga wearing black armbands to protest the death of democracy in Zimbabwe. It was for all to see for a world cup was taking place and both those players did not serve the country any longer. While Flower quit after the tournament, Olonga fled it and was even pursued by state agents.

Star players like Neil Johnson left the country because of pay problems

While the political instability led to exit of reputed players, the economic hardships meant that the game’s development in the country suffered. Disputes over salary peaked and there were times when Zimbabwean cricket even failed to feed its cricketers during games and tournaments. It’s a pity that the country lost a quality all-rounder like Neil Johnson.

And as Zimbabwe started to become more politically isolated, its cricket the players began to suffer more as the cricketing world started overlooking them – both because of political and qualitative reasons. Zimbabwe even lost their Test status in between which did not help things either.

With new sides emerging, Zimbabwe will find it tougher to regain lost ground

For a team which has played each of the world cups since 1983, the failure to make it to the 2019 edition in England where they had surprised the world in their very debut game 35 years back, is a serious message.

With new teams like Afghanistan making an impact on the world stage quite often and their players even earning names for themselves in tournaments like Indian Premier League (IPL), it is getting tougher for Zimbabwe to earn back the spot they have lost over the last 15 years or so. They are now even made to play four-day Tests and that too get over within two days. It speaks volume about the state of affairs in Zimbabwe cricket.

The country has seen the back of Mugabe recently and one would hope that the new political leadership would strive towards making Zimbabwe a decent cricketing side. It is much easier said than done but the onus also lies on the cricketing fraternity to save its cricket and prevent Zimbabwe from becoming the next Kenya.

For all the latest cricket news and other details follow CricTracker.