The Sunday News
Senior Sports Reporter
CRICKETERS contracted to the country’s four franchises are going through hard times with laughable payments being given to them since the start of the domestic fist class season last Sunday.The players even went on a strike which halted the start of the Logan Cup four-day matches that were due to start last Tuesday. The matches eventually got underway the following day and concluded yesterday. They are unhappy with the kind of contracts they are being offered this season.
What has exacerbated the plight of the professional cricketers, once envied by their fellow sportspersons locally for the “hefty” salaries as well as perks that they used to enjoy, is the fact that unlike in previous seasons when they used to be employed for seven months, they are now on contract for five months. This means in the other seven months, they have to find other forms of employment with those fortunate enough being able to secure playing contracts in countries such as England, Ireland and Scotland.
A WhatsApp message from a source familiar with goings on in local cricket whose authenticity cannot be doubted revealed the tough times the cricketers were going through.
According to the WhatsApp informant players from Bulawayo’s Matabeleland Tuskers franchise only got $10 for their 70 run triumph over Mountaineers in a Pro50 Championship match played at Queens Sports Club last Sunday. Since then, there has not been any money handed over to the cricketers.
The informant wondered how the players were expected to even find their way to the ground for the Logan Cup fixture and how they were going to fend for themselves and their families.
“Did you know that Tuskers players have been given a mere $10 allowance to cover them for the one day game and are yet to receive any further allowance for the four-day game. How are these guys expected to get to and from the ground everyday let alone feed themselves. Hopefully I get to read a story about this in the newspaper,’’ said the source.
At the end of the four-day game yesterday, the players were given a further $40.
Players from all the country’s four franchises, Matabeleland Tuskers, MidWest Rhinos, Mountaineers and Mashonaland Eagles have all refused to sign contracts as they are unhappy with the figures being offered to them which they said are far much less compared to what they were getting last season.
Sunday News is also reliably informed that players on lower grade contracts were being offered $300 which is not enough to buy a pair of cricket playing boots.
Zimbabwe Professional Cricket Association chief executive officer Eliah Zvimba last Friday met ZC officials, a meeting which was described as being “not that fruitful” especially on the players’ part.
According to Zvimba, another meeting was scheduled for tomorrow with hopes that the players might put pen to paper.
Tuskers’ administrator Stanley Staddon yesterday said they were in the process of printing out the contracts and it was up to the players to start signing them from tomorrow. According to Staddon Tuskers were giving out 13 player contracts.
“Players haven’t signed their contracts as yet, we are printing them now with the individual players’ names and they should start signing from Monday that is those who want to sign. These contracts are going to be backdated to 1 November and we are giving 13 contracts, the rest of the guys are going to be on pay-as -you-play,’’ said Staddon.
In terms of grading, Staddon pointed out that the players were going to be ranked from A to E with A being the highest paid and E the lowest remunerated.
Asked about the money given to the players, Staddon conceded they were minimal allowances. To compensate them for the time they spent fine tuning for the new season with payments of $65 to each player who participated in the pre-season.
Maladministration , largely blamed on former ZC managing director Ozias Bvute tenure has seen local cricket which was at some stage the best run game in Zimbabwe with sponsors falling over each other to bankroll the sport, now a laughing stock.
Zimbabwe Cricket’s last reported debt in 2012 stood at $19 million with no clear indications whether it has gone down or ballooned.
At the introduction of the franchise system by ZC with the financial backing of the International Cricket Council during the 2009/10 season, cricketers and staff were paid outrageously high salaries with some of the players said to have been pocketing $3 500 which was seen as a sign that there was no planning for the future.
Financial troubles saw ZC, with expert advice from the ICC abolish the Masvingo based Southern Rocks franchise.
