NATIONAL team captain Brendan Taylor yesterday issued a public apology after his criticism of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC)’s decision to cut support coaching staff from the forthcoming tour of the West Indies.
REPORT DANIEL NHAKANISO
Taylor made known his disappointment on the decision, which resulted in batting coach Grant Flower, bowling coach Heath Streak and fitness trainer Lorraine Chivandire being excluded from the travelling party, calling it a “step in the wrong direction”.
The statements which were posted on Taylor’s Facebook page did not go well with the ZC leadership, who argued that their decision had been based on recommendations made the country’s cricket committee.
Taylor is one of the four Zimbabwean players currently at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and is expected to join the national team for the West Indies tour.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page yesterday, Taylor said: “I have noted that the comments I posted last week, were made in the heat of the moment, ref, the decision made by the ZC board to leave Grant, Heath and Lorraine out of the touring West Indies squad. This was really not my intention.
“I now appreciate that Facebook was not the right platform to air my concerns and I have since spoken to the managing director of ZC and apologised.
“Seeing, however, that my initial comments were made here on FB, we both agreed that it was only fair to then alert my followers and other people who had picked up my comment that the issue has been resolved.
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“The point is that while I may not be happy that Grant, Heath and Lorraine are not going with the team to the West Indies, I now am better informed as to how the decision was arrived at and that the recommendation which the Cricket Committee made to the ZC Board and which the board then adopted as policy, was actually based on what had been discussed in general terms in a meeting with the committee last year.
“I remain committed to ZC and look forward to leading the side to the West Indies. I am happy that I have had this time in the Bangladesh Premier League to continue with my preparations!”
The recent fallout on the decision to leave out key coaching personnel for the upcoming tour had threatened to plunge the national team’s preparations for the upcoming tour into chaos.
The build-up to the tour has been overshadowed with another controversy after ZC’s refusal to comply with a selection directive issued by the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission which required the association’s selection panel to be made up of former national team players.
The tour, which includes three ODIs, two Twenty20s and two Tests, starts on February 20 and is head coach Alan Butcher’s last in charge before his contract expires.
