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Racism accused Coltart fires back as Zimbabwe Cricket
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Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has found itself under intense public scrutiny after its attempt to dismiss Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart's criticisms as a “racially motivated smear campaign” drew widespread rejection from cricket supporters across the country.
The dispute began after Coltart accused ZC of poor governance, lack of transparency, flawed selection policies, and neglect of grassroots cricket development. In a statement released on 12 August, ZC rejected the accusations and claimed that Coltart was targeting black administrators in an orchestrated attack. But cricket fans, including many active on social media, have dismissed the claims as baseless and a deliberate deflection from the sport's deeper problems.
In a strongly worded rebuttal issued earlier today, Coltart described ZC's statement as “shockingly mendacious” and more akin to something expected from a political party than a national sports body. He accused ZC of using race as a “cheap shot” to divert attention from its administrative failures, noting that the criticism he and others had raised reflected the genuine concerns of cricket supporters from all walks of life.
Coltart took aim at ZC's allegations over his role in historical events, including the 2003 black armband protest by Henry Olonga and Andy Flower, and England's withdrawal from their scheduled World Cup match in Harare that year. He insisted ZC had distorted facts, adding that his record in cricket diplomacy as Sports Minister, particularly his efforts to restore Zimbabwe's Test status in the early 2010s, was well documented and verifiable.
Expanding on his criticisms, Coltart said grassroots cricket was in a state of collapse, particularly in government schools that once produced national talent but now have deteriorating facilities. He accused ZC of concentrating resources and matches in Harare while neglecting other cricketing centres such as Bulawayo, Kwekwe, Mutare, Gweru, and Masvingo. He also questioned the wisdom of building a multimillion-dollar stadium in Victoria Falls while venues around the country languished in disrepair.
Coltart further charged that ZC's selection policies were heavily skewed in favour of players from Harare and one club, Takashinga, while overlooking top performers from other regions and Zimbabwean players based overseas. He also claimed to have received numerous reports from players about a toxic environment within national teams, including intimidation and poor treatment of athletes across the racial divide.
The Bulawayo mayor criticised the ZC board for lacking any former First-Class cricketers among its members, saying the leadership was dominated by a small, unrepresentative clique that perpetuated its own control through opaque election procedures. He warned that the board's leadership crisis was at the heart of Zimbabwe's ongoing decline in cricket performance, which has seen national teams suffer humiliating defeats and struggle even to qualify for major tournaments.
Coltart concluded that the politically charged statement aimed at him was itself evidence of deep dysfunction within the organisation. He said that unless ZC focused on transparency, fair selection, and genuine grassroots investment, cricket in Zimbabwe would continue to decline, leaving even flagship projects like the Victoria Falls stadium as “white elephants.”
The dispute began after Coltart accused ZC of poor governance, lack of transparency, flawed selection policies, and neglect of grassroots cricket development. In a statement released on 12 August, ZC rejected the accusations and claimed that Coltart was targeting black administrators in an orchestrated attack. But cricket fans, including many active on social media, have dismissed the claims as baseless and a deliberate deflection from the sport's deeper problems.
In a strongly worded rebuttal issued earlier today, Coltart described ZC's statement as “shockingly mendacious” and more akin to something expected from a political party than a national sports body. He accused ZC of using race as a “cheap shot” to divert attention from its administrative failures, noting that the criticism he and others had raised reflected the genuine concerns of cricket supporters from all walks of life.
Coltart took aim at ZC's allegations over his role in historical events, including the 2003 black armband protest by Henry Olonga and Andy Flower, and England's withdrawal from their scheduled World Cup match in Harare that year. He insisted ZC had distorted facts, adding that his record in cricket diplomacy as Sports Minister, particularly his efforts to restore Zimbabwe's Test status in the early 2010s, was well documented and verifiable.
Coltart further charged that ZC's selection policies were heavily skewed in favour of players from Harare and one club, Takashinga, while overlooking top performers from other regions and Zimbabwean players based overseas. He also claimed to have received numerous reports from players about a toxic environment within national teams, including intimidation and poor treatment of athletes across the racial divide.
The Bulawayo mayor criticised the ZC board for lacking any former First-Class cricketers among its members, saying the leadership was dominated by a small, unrepresentative clique that perpetuated its own control through opaque election procedures. He warned that the board's leadership crisis was at the heart of Zimbabwe's ongoing decline in cricket performance, which has seen national teams suffer humiliating defeats and struggle even to qualify for major tournaments.
Coltart concluded that the politically charged statement aimed at him was itself evidence of deep dysfunction within the organisation. He said that unless ZC focused on transparency, fair selection, and genuine grassroots investment, cricket in Zimbabwe would continue to decline, leaving even flagship projects like the Victoria Falls stadium as “white elephants.”
Source - online
