Zimbabwe Cricket

Never before has Charles Coventry made 194 runs in any form of cricket. In fact, only twice before has he passed the three magical numbers, and of these none of them have been remotely close to the 200 he was surely set for on Sunday against Bangladesh.

Not over the two Test matches he played before he went into self-imposed exile after a spat with former coach Kevin Curran; not over many four day matches that regularly pass as first class matches in Zimbabwe’s limited domestic game; not even in a three-year sojourn playing club cricket until last year in England.

But on Sunday, in just under 50 overs of cricket, he let rip. God, it was glorious this lashing out of willow over leather, the brute animal power and mind coming together to complete  an innings if such epoch proportions; a white man's latent anger in a country that has so unjustly lashed out against their race. 

Such innings have seldom little to do with cricket than the person beneath the spectacles.

It was surely an injustice that Zimbabwe’s flatulent bowling efforts out did all of Coventry’s work and they will be much frustration and gnashing of teeth before Tuesday’s final and ultimately pointless game resumes.

But the man who set a record equaling 194 runs in world cricket is not one normally to be taken so seriously as person, let alone one who  his teammates can entrust on a national game.

Four months ago for Zimbabwe A in South Africa, as he and teammate mark Vermeluen started what has now been termed by scribes a remarkable come back into the folds of the nation’s cricket, Coventry sat watching  underneath a makeshift tent erected as the team changing rooms by the hosts in Benoni.

In due course, maybe because of boredom, maybe because of a constipated or upset stomach he let rip four in intermittent and full-blown farts as his teammates looked on aghast. They disgustedly moved away and, only Vermeluen didn’t seem to mind, but that seemed in opinion two of a kind. Utterly eccentric and certainly not to be taken seriously.

And so the series has been taken away by immaculate Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh, but thanks to Coventry astonishing innings, and the brave Tigers of Bangladesh the next few innings from all batsmen concerned are ones to look forward to. 

After watching his young  side thrash Canada and the previously fancied Ireland last week, Zimbabwe A coach  Stephen Mangongo feels his side is well on track and could have a few of his players challenging for spots in the national side.

The outstanding Mbekezeli Mabuza, Cephas Zhuwawo, and captain Tymmcen Maruma stood out as Zimbabwe steamrolled Canada on Tuesday, then thrashed the hapless Ireland a day later.

Opening batsman Zhuwawo hit a belligerent 45 against Ireland, while Maruma had sparkled with a hundred runs a week earlier against the Namibian national team.

Western's batsman Mbekezeli Mabuza went unbeaten in both matches against Ireland and Canada , hitting 56 and 45 not out.

Said Mangongo: "It's been a good team effort altogether, although I cannot deny that
a few players have really come good in the last tour to Namibia  and South Africa.

“Timmy finally showed his potential with the bat against Namibia last week, and you have just seen first hand what Zhuwawo can do to an attack," remarked Mangongo as the left-hander went on a rampage.

"Mabuza has gone about with his innings patiently. So certainly the players are coming up well and so is the team, which acts as the feeder system for the national side.”

Indeed, top order batsman Zhuwawo did his prospects of a return to the
national team no harm after he hit a bullish 45 against Ireland the
following day.

Such was his dominance that when the left handed batsman was finally dismissed, he had blasted 45 of Zimbabwe's 55 runs.

He showed a wide array of stokes, hooking and pulling with panache and cutting ferociously.

Even Mabuza, normally so circumspect, lashed out against Ireland on Wednesday, with three massive sixes, to indicate what confidence can do to a player in form.

The previous day against Canada he had hit a more carefully constructed, but fluent, half century.

The match between Ireland and Zimbabwe had been eagerly anticipated after the thriller at the World Cup two years ago, and the Irishman belligerence all round.

Despite setting a bullish tone—Phil Simmons, the former Zimbabwe coach and now coach of Ireland, had visited the Zimbabwe camp a day earlier  and promised a good fight—the Irish were quickly put to the sword after being dismissed for just 118 runs in 38 overs, before Zimbabwe coasted home in good time. 

Bowlers Tendai Chisoro and Trevor Garwe stood out, and the 17-year-old leg spinner Natsai Mashangwe showed promise, as he outfoxed old hand Andrew White of Ireland to be smartly stumped.

Can this good form and fortune continue like this? Can Zimbabwean hearts dare take the pitching, heaving, surging hope that has been sown into their souls by the thunderously victorious cricket team in Kenya?

Can Team Zimbabwe—formed by just a team of young guns—keep winning, scoring and winning as they have seemed to do lately?  Is this truly a renaissance for Zimbabwe cricket?  

One day cricket lore would tell the story, that once upon a time, two folks called Andy Flower and Henry Olonga offset a cataclysmic series of events that eventually  led, almost a year later, to 14 players quitting the game simultaneously and the team being stripped of their Test status. 

But a team of youngsters, guided by opportunism, an unfaltering, somewhat staggering strength, Team Zimbabwe rebuilt and, after four years of tumult, scorn and rejection, once again rose to become a top team… 

Two weeks ago, before the one day series in Kenya took off, your correspondent forecast that the Zimbabwe Chevrons, finely tuned from a reinvigorating tour of the subcontinent in which they managed to win two of five matches, would prove too strong for the Masai of Kenya. 

But even by this bullish tone, the five-match thrashing of the Kenyans has been truly staggering.  To put the utter domination of the Zimbabweans into perspective, consider that only a few months ago even the fairly intermediate Irish were bombastic when faced with the prospect of playing Zimbabwe, and the Kenyans hugely expectant after winning a decisive battle two months ago.

Consider that chief bowlers Tawanda Mpariwa and Edward Rainsford were rested for at least two matches and consider that Tatenda Taibu didn’t even lift a bat in anger in the series. Consider that the batting lineup was tweaked, therefore, and new responsibility handed to newcomers Foster Mtizwa and Malcolm Waller.  And yet everybody stepped onto the plate.

In the five matches played by Zimbabwe  their batsmen have averaged an innings total of 280 runs, chief whip Elton Chigumbura weighing in with 224 runs at a staggering strike rate of 154.

This is unprecedented. We have always known Chigumbura to have ballistic arms. We know he can hit out of Lahore, and the Pakistanis know it too. The signs were evident early on, when in only his fifth one day international as an 18-year-old he defied everything that Australia’s Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz, Andrew Symonds and Brett Hogg threw at him to make 77, fifty-two of those runs in boundaries. 

But in recent times—in fact, since Kevin Curran—he had looked more circumspect, which made his sudden explosion against Kenya all the more startling. But more comfortingly for the Chevrons, five of their top six batsmen, used interchangeably in the five games played, got runs. Three of them, Hamilton Masakadza, Sean Williams and Chigumbura, averaged no less than 50, and even the tail-enders weighed in.

The Sri Lankans, no doubt, present a far more sobering prospect in three weeks time, when the Chevrons return to the subcontinent for four one day matches. 

But for now may the good times roll.  If not the results, then the runs.

Despite claims to the contrary by satisfied officials, Zimbabwe did not pass the subcontinental test in Bangladesh. But neither did they fail, largely thanks to the dogged pitches the team found in the now gone and forgotten tour of Bangladesh. 

Pitches in Sri Lanka especially, and much of the subcontinent, have always seemed to have been held together by sawdust and glue; but even by these middling standards, the ones seen recently in the tri-nations and one-day series by Bangladesh and Zimbabwe were exceptionally awful.

Therein lies the challenge. Bad pitches lead to questioning of batsmen. Skilled ones, and those willing to apply themselves, answer them. 

In this series, however, quietly forgotten and shunted aside by other greater cricket achievements in Australia and Pakistan, nobody could answer them.  Premier batsman Sean Williams was quite off-color, leaving his average best for late; and the dashing Mohammad Ashraful sparkled, only to extinguish very early.

Shakib Al Hassan, now the world’s best batsman, could have been outstanding had he been challenged more often; but the totals chased always proved far too small for his considerable talents.

For the last ranked team in Test cricket, the challenges remain formidable.

The retirement of 14 senior players all at once and the horrible disappointment of losing Sean Ervine and Tinashe Panyangara are far more grave setbacks than can usually be recognized in the day to day contest of a Test.

Kenya have had theirs, mind you, as key players Maurice Odumbe and Thomas Odoyo finally succumbed to the inevitable Asian fiefdoms-cum-gambling squads a few seasons ago, and Bangladesh too; but as the latter have done, Zimbabwe will at some point have to dust them up and salvage the broken pieces they have had to make do with since.

But for now, finely tuned from the most testing pitches in Bangladesh, and after enduring a contest in between against Sri Lanka, the Chevrons of Zimbabwe are well-poised to dominate the coming five-match one-day series against Kenya.

But first they will have to contend with one Steve Tikolo, Masai of Nairobi.

Twelve years after making his debut in Cuttack against India back in 1996, the 37-year-old, now in the twilight of his career, is still the bedrock of Kenyan cricket. 

Stephen Ogonji Tikolo, and no other, is to Kenya what Andy Flower was to Zimbabwe.

After leading his country to a semifinals place in the cricket World Cup six years ago in South Africa, the former Sussex player remains surely the best batsman in modern era never to have played Test cricket.

With a First Class average of 51, Tikolo is three runs higher than the celebrated Murray Goodwin in Zimbabwe, and has 14 more than the lamentable Grant Flower, at more or less the same strike. Given a go at it, with arguably a more solid technique than his peers above, who knows what heights the nuggetty batsman might have scaled in the even and sedate pace of Test cricket.

It was Tikolo's 102 runs in the team's contest against Zimbabwe that proved the difference.

If anybody stands between victory and redemption for the Zimbabweans, it is the Masai.

Bilbo Baggins, caught between a rock and a hard place would have empathised with Zimbabwe cricket when he was asked, “What has it got in its pocketses?”

But where his acquaintances would hide behind some stolen treasure, perhaps in future optimism, there doesn’t appear to be any such reassurance for Zimbabwe at present. The game in that country is once again caught out in the open, with not a shrub in sight.

So what has it got in its pocketses?

With the just ended tri-series in Bangladesh wit Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe mercifully fading into another dim memory of ineptness by all teams involved (only the final sparked, and still score remained sub-200), and the season looking yet again looking thoroughly short of matches for the last ranked team, one has the familiar feeling that the answer to that question remains: not a lot.

The silence emanating from all things cricket in Zimbabwe—national, provincial, the virtually non existent club game—makes their now far off return to Test cricket almost a fantasy.

Five years after getting rid of all the experienced former players and administrators by Ozias Bvute and Peter Chingoka, there is no sense of fresh start still, or even a new season; just the unmerciful lampooning by critics of a national coach accused of being dull and unimaginative: the national team hasn’t reached a score of 220 in seven innings of international one day cricket.

Lat month the Sri Lankan captain was unequivocal about where the blame lay—a lack of match practice—for the home team batsmens' lack of aptitude in an earlier tour to Zimbabwe where the visitors limped home 5-0 in a one day series.

Limped, because after the thrashing of the Chevrons in the first two matches; and where abler teams would have snuffled the fight out the home side, the visitors barely got away it the next three.

Put that way, it was Zimbabwe who lost the next three rather than Sri Lanka who won them, and got whitewashed instead of coming out 3-2 victors.

This, then, is what we have now learnt of this Zimbabwe side. Firstly after conceding no more than 225 an innings in the last ten matches, six of them against Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya and company, they have a decent attack in Elton Chigumbura, Edward Rainsford and  medium pacer Tawanda Mpariwa, who has been quickest to 50 wickets in Zimbabwean cricket history, faster to the mark than even bygone legend Eddo Brandes (England and David Lloyd would remember him well); but albeit one which is also opened by their captain and spin bowler Prosper Utseya at a miserly economy rate of four runs an over and a strike rate that is climbing down every time.

Secondly, their batting is profligate when it should be miserly, and constipated when runs are badly in need: should Vusi Sibanda retire now or should he be sent to the subcontinent for an extended stay until he learns to bat at spin bowling?

After all, it seems unforgivably criminal that such a lavishly gifted player should spend days practicing a defensive shot only to come out days later off a botched pull shot.

When will batsman Hamilton Masakadza, deified by Andy Flower as a teenager still to make his debut, reveal himself as the next Dave Houghton?

Should their managing director Ozias Bvute be running an export business rather than a game he knows barely anything of?

After all, was it not him who  in that lamentable rebel stand-off who gloated about “the array“ of youngsters—Tinashe Panyangara, Elton Chigumbura, Tatenda Taibu—in his weaponry now that they had been finally given a chance to showcase their talents?

“Even when the Flowers were there Zimbabwe would win the odd game,” he said on national television, fresh from another boardroom brawl.

Given the ineptness of some senior players then, these were statements that could be humoured. But given the Chevrons’ desperate capitulations in recent games—indeed since the rebels—it seems that not even the traditional scatter-shot and bits and pieces players produced nowadays in the league can save Zimbabwe.

“Just give them two or three years to gel and these youngsters will be world beaters,” said Bvute.

Problem is it’s been five years now and they are world doormats, fancied by even Ireland and Kenya.

And Panyangara: where is he now?  Does it matter to him that a little over eight months since the youngster made a somewhat spectacular entry in international cricket—six wickets in a demolition of Australia in a U19 World Cup, and a first ball scalp of the imperious Mathew Hayden—he was in hospital, one of three victims of a stress fracture due to over work on their young bodies.

Is it of any concern to ZC that a few weeks out of hospital the youngster was out of the country and out of cricket, disillusioned by the neglect he had received while injured?

It seems pointedly obvious therefore that, a political solution to the country's problem regardless, which is impacting negatively at all other facets of life in Zimbabwe, they need to entice some of their players back to change the side dramatically, as Ray Price’s return has shown.

Questions remain to that effect and they all point towards ZC. Will Panyangara ever play cricket again, or has he lost love of both the administration and the game. What about Sean Ervine, already emerging at the time as Zimbabwe’s best batsman and once touted by Brian Lara as going one day to be a better player than even Andy Flower?

Will former captain Heath Streak ever be invited to be part of a setup to impact valuable knowledge to a crop of youngsters who are badly in need of it?

Is anybody at ZC trying at all?

Because Zimbabwe are currently in strife and not particularly playing cricket, I decided to remind people of the talents that they have given the cricketing world. Admittedly, I only had 8 definites in the team off the top of my head, along with a number of maybes, so I had to do a little research and ended up putting a few current youngsters in who I think have shown the potential to be in the best XI whenever I have seen them play. (This is in batting order).

1. 1. G. Flower – Started as a steady opener who was always prepared for playing a long, battling innings before later dropping way down the order. A test average of around 30 doesn’t particularly sound great but he always did his utmost for the team and gave them a match winning 201* when Zimbabwe won their first match in test history against Pakistan.
2. B. Taylor – The first of my unsure selections, who is probably most famous for guiding Zimbabwe to victory against Australia early in the Twenty20 World Cup. Again, his record isn’t great but he always looks class whenever I see him play. I believe he is the one current player who can mature to score runs consistently as opposed to his raw, unpredictable team mates. This is backed up by the fact that Cricinfo shows since the start of 2006 he has failed to get to double figures only 7 times, he just needs to start building bigger innings.
3. M Goodwin – unfortunately only played 19 tests but anyone who has seen him at Sussex can say he is definitely way above county standard and has been a little wasted having spent the majority of his career at that level. Scored runs against pretty much every country he faced and finished with an average of 40odd. A tremendous shame he didn’t play more as he could definitely have built upon the excellent start to his career.
4. D Houghton (C) – Zimbabwe’s first captain and first century maker in their first match. Probably the country’s best batsmen after Andy Flower, his most productive series came against Sri Lanka where he hit 466 runs in 3 innings. I didn’t really know enough about cricket for the majority of the period he played in but everything I have ever read suggests he has been their best captain so far.
5. A Flower – Quite simply the one world class player they have ever had. Held the official position of world’s no.1 batsmen and finished with an average over 50 from 63 tests as well as averaging a century every 5 matches. Brilliant against spin as well as being very good against pace. His career was famously cut short when he wore that black armband at the 2003 World Cup but Essex profited massively and he now coaches England’s batsmen; I bet he’d bat better than most of them even now.
6. S. Williams – Looked very talented at the World Cup (even though he only had one big innings). Has averaged 40 in his last 12 games including a fantastic series against Pakistan where he showed he could consistently play innings with some pace to them whilst still being secure. Hopefully can carry on this form and add solidity to the current upper-middle order.
7. T. Taibu (WK) – Is he the saviour of the country’s cricket. It seemed that way after his return to the team after 2 years. He’s scored a good number of runs including a heroic century v South Africa that unfortunately wasn’t enough for the run chase. He has fine keeping abilities which has the benefit of letting Taylor concentrate on his batting. He is also very experienced despite being young having come into the team (and captained it) at a very young age. He is crucial to this team for the coming years and I think that that in itself makes him a worthy candidate to be in this XI.
8. H. Streak – The best bowler in Zimbabwe’s test history as well as being a very useful lower order batter. 455 international wickets at 29 is brilliant and also unrivalled by any other Zimbabwean. He constantly showed great drive, endurance and control which was lucky seems though quite often he was practically a one-man attack.
9. P. Strang – Another good all rounder, with the steel to get runs when needed but also with good quality wrist spin capable of troubling the best. Rarely went without wickets (although this maybe due to the amount of overs he bowled because of a lack of other options) and four 5-fors in 24 tests isn’t a bad return with a best of 8 for 109.
10. R. Price – Left arm slow bowler who often bowled a lot of overs. He got wickets against the best, 5-fors against India, Australia and South Africa, and had a good control of flight. Another useful player who stopped playing due to politics but recently returned to add some much needed experience to the young team.
11. A. Ireland – To be honest, a lack of stand out seam bowlers so I’m putting him in ahead of others purely on potential really. A hard worker and has looked good whenever I’ve seen him (most recently at Gloucester). Hasn’t ever set the world alight but I thought he was consistently good. Again, it is a shame that young talent has retired early.

Obviously, this national XI would not compete with other national XIs but I hope that I have reminded people this country has produced some fine cricketers worthy of being on the world stage.

What is going on in this country right now is a travesty but I don’t see what good banning them from playing cricket does (not that I’m a politician knowing the ins and outs of the situation).

I feel that continuous competitive matches against first class opposition from the countries with solid domestic structures would do this current young team a world of good and get them to be more competitive for international matches in the not so distant future. They undoubtedly have talented batsmen at the moment with a few decent all rounders but need more experience (whilst not being out of their depth) to improve significantly.

Hopefully, players such as Justice Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura and Hamilton Masakadza can push Zimbabwe on to greater things and fight for places in the above team. Success is definitely possible for this country; we just need to work out how to get it.

As the voters went to the polls in Zimbabwe last Friday to select from a choice of one, it is unlikely that the fate of their national cricket team featured significantly in their concerns.

Many have been looking to South Africa either to intervene or as a route for escape. The rise of Jacob Zuma in the ranks of the ANC holds out an anticipation that is lacking from the lacklustre mediator Thabo Mbeki, but time is yet another shortage for this beleaguered people.

Despite Britain’s ambitions at leadership, pressure on Robert Mugabe is better suited coming from a neighbour and ally. That South Africa also appreciates the role of politics in sport gives credibility when considering cricketing sanctions that are lacking when it comes from an ex-colonial master.

Last week the South African cricket board broke from their traditional policy of support for African unity by suspending all agreements with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union until further notice.

The general situation in Zimbabwe means that they will no longer be invited to take part in South Africa’s domestic competitions, and development programmes will be suspended.

Following quickly on the Protea’s coattails, the English Cricket Board (ECB) announced that the government would deny Zimbabwe entry for next year’s proposed test series.

Secretary for Culture, Media, and Sport Andy Burnham justified the government’s instruction on the grounds that, "The Zimbabwean government has ceased to observe the principle of the rule of law. It has terrorised its own citizens, including the ruthless and violent suppression of legitimate political opposition."

So contrary to the ICC’s stance that a country’s politics should not affect its cricket team, the government have banned Zimbabwe on political grounds.

Seen initially as support for the South African position, it in fact goes beyond their actions. The Proteas have said that they will still honour the ICC’s Future Tours Programme regarding Zimbabwe, and so will play them at the international level, but not lower down.

Just what effect this will have on Zimbabwe is questionable. Burnham claims that the close links of Mugabe to the Zimbabwe cricket team had a bearing on the government’s decision.

As patron of the national side, Mugabe’s role is an egotistical one more than anything else. How much cricket he watches and follows is unknown.

Still, the British government must have been feeling very angry because in the same week they also removed his honorary knighthood!

The actions of the South Africans at least mean that the question of Zimbabwe is once again placed on the ICC agenda. To disqualify them from cricket’s top table requires the support of eight of the 10 full members, though this is looking unlikely.

The Indian Board of Control have expressed their surprise that the issue has been raised again and reiterated the ICC’s position that a country’s politics and its cricket don’t go together.

Sharad Pawar is the chairman of the Indian Board and also vice president of the ICC. He owes his position as ICC president-elect to support from Zimbabwe, the only non-Asian country to support him in last year’s election, which he drew 5–5 against the former ECB chairman David Morgan. He also knows a thing or two about politics, being India’s current Minister for Agriculture and Food.

Those who seek Zimbabwe’s expulsion make comparisons with the South African regime during apartheid, though I remember most of the English establishment were in favour of building bridges with the Springboks.

This comparison fails to stand up for me. For a start, South African sport was ingrained in the white minority’s psyche, and their isolation became a psychological weapon and a means of leverage.

In addition, the domestic opposition movement supported sanctions. Cricket is not a major sport in Zimbabwe; it was a minority white pastime that has been Africanised under the present regime. It is more multiracial than in the past, but could be sacrificed by Zanu-PF as a further example of colonial influence.

There has been little from the opposition MDC in support of Zimbabwe’s isolation. Instead we have been fed congratulatory comments from ex-players Andrew Flower and Henry Olonga.

The opposition newspaper New Zimbabwe fears that this may play into the hands of Mugabe. It is pointed out that his conversion to tyranny is not a recent one. Between 1982 and 1987, for example, thousands of fellow black Africans were slaughtered at the hands of his troops in the Midlands and Matabelelend as he sought to stamp out opposition.

Taking advantage of the measures initially imposed by Ian Smith’s white regime, Mugabe would wait until 1990 to lift the State of Emergency. He was producing widows, orphans, and mass graves whilst the European-descended Flower and Zambian-born Olonga were representing their country.

Any stand on Zimbabwe has to be agreed upon by all of cricket’s fraternity. England acting alone could actually aid Mugabe, whose answers to his nation’s problems usually revolve around "blame the British."

In addition, a stance on political grounds will lead to accusations of hypocrisy if the same concerns are not later raised against Pakistan, where the leading opposition leader was assassinated just before the last general election. Then there could be questions about China and a myriad of countries hoping to compete in the Olympics.

The "ethical foreign policy" was New Labour’s "back to basics," an embarrassing vacuous statement that had more to do with contradiction than confrontation.

An ethical sporting policy is subject to the same problems—who, for example, should play against countries whose illegal military intervention in another nation has led to the deaths of over a million civilians?

But I doubt Gordon Brown will call for sanctions against America or Britain itself!

And of course this sabre-rattling means little if British companies, some of which include Tory front-benchers as leading share-holders, continue to invest in Mugabe’s corrupt nation.

A message that we won’t let you play cricket with us, but our companies will make the biggest ever investment in your economy shows that profits are more important than people or democracy, and that morality is best left to the philosophers.

The government has suggested that the ban on Zimbabwe will extend beyond their scheduled visit to England next year and take in the World Twenty20 scheduled here.

The possible consequences of doing this go beyond losing this prestigious tournament, and might have a negative impact on events such as the 2012 Olympics and the 2019 cricket World Cup.

Now that would be some victory for Mugabe.

The British Government issued a ban today on the Zimbabwe cricket team, prohibiting any side from touring England on moral grounds.

The ban comes into effect after an 18-month discussion between the Government and the ICC and will become active with the backdrop of a nation whose economy is in tatters.

Since Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe seized power in the 80s, the country has been the center of extreme political unrest. This has culminated in Mugabe's refusal to leave his position, despite losing a democratic election to the Movement for Democratic Change and their leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

After a run-off was called between Mugabe and Tsvangirai, the MDC leader pulled out following violent and bloody attacks on his supporters. He since has sought refuge in the Dutch Embassy as he feared for his life.

In reaction to this, the ECB have suspended all links with Zimbabwean cricket and cancelled their 2009 tour. They follow in the footsteps of Cricket South Africa, traditionally one of the staunchest supporters of the sport in Zimbabwe, who severed ties on Tuesday.

The ICC will convene on July 2 to discuss a world ban that would prevent Zimbabwe from competing in the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in England.

The decision has been welcomed by former captain Andy Flower, who famously wore a black armband with teammate Henry Olonga to mourn the death of democracy in his homeland during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.

He said, "I support a suspension. We should not have normal relations with a country in such an abnormal state.

"I'm no politician when it comes to the ICC but I do know that [Zimbabwe Cricket chairman] Peter Chingoka is part of Mugabe's despicable clan and the fact that he's allowed to prance around with the ICC colours on and sit on ICC committees is embarrassing".

Mugabe's regime has brought Zimbabwe nothing but turmoil in recent years, with the economy on its knees and entire communities living in fear of violence through their political beliefs.

These actions might not turn the tide of Zimbabwean politics but it might just send a message to those with the ability to enforce change that some parts of the global community will not stand for what is occurring. If the United Nations follow the lead of the ICC, Mugabe might not be able to cling on to power for much longer.

The fact that Zimbabwe's most famous cricketer in recent times has spoken out in fervent support of the decision to stop his side playing tells its own story.

Cricket might not be able to change the world, but it might just cause some people to sit up and take notice.