The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket have suspended all cricket activities in order to assess the situation in terms of the Covid-19 new variant.
In an email correspondence sent out on Saturday, ZC said all cricket activities have been put on hold until further notice.
“Please note that Cricket Operations is suspending all cricket activities with effect from today (Saturday), until further notice. This is just so we assess the situation with this current situation and the scare on the new variant.
“This means therefore that we are stopping everything even the Domestic games. Please stand guided,’’ read the communication sent out by ZC.
Affected by the ZC decision are the Pro50 Championship matches that were underway. Log leaders, Southern Rocks have played six matches together with Tuskers while Mountaineers, Eagles and Rhinos have fulfilled four fixtures each.
The decision has also seen the Zimbabwe Under-19 team abandon plans to come to Bulawayo where they were meant to play a 50 over match against Tuskers at Queens Sports Club on Wednesday as part of preparations for next year’s International Cricket Council Under-19 World Cup in West Indies.
Some of the Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association league fixtures were affected by the directive. While the Saturday league matches went ahead, the Sunday fixtures had to be called off.
On Saturday, the International Cricket Council announced that the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021, which was underway in Harare had been called off due to the introduction of travel restrictions from a number of African countries, including the host country Zimbabwe, following the breakout of a new Covid-19 variant in southern Africa.
The qualifiers were decided according to the team rankings as detailed in the tournament playing conditions. It means therefore that Bangladesh, Pakistan and the West Indies will now progress to the event in New Zealand early next year.
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