ZIMBABWE Cricket board chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani yesterday launched a scathing attack on the trio of David Coltart, Wilson Manase and Alistair Campbell whom he suggested have formed an alliance to destabilize the game in the country for their own benefits.
by Kevin Mapasure
Former minister, Coltart, is vocal about cricket issues and has launched a campaign for the return of Manase who lost his place in the board and chairmanship after losing an election to Mukuhlani.
The twitter campaign is “#BringbackWilsonManase#Zimbabwe#Cricket.”
Former Zimbabwe captain Campbell who had assumed a role as a director resigned from the post and Mukuhlani claimed it was because among other things the former convenor of selectors was not happy that his son had not been selected in the Under-19 national side.
Mukuhlani attacked his predecessor Manase accusing him of leaking confidential information to the press while trying to spruce up his own image.
Salaries of the top management at ZC were published by an online website at the weekend where it was suggested chief executive officer Wilfred Mukondiwa was sitting on a $15 000 salary per month.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Mukuhlani said only Manase would have released such information since he would have been the only person who had access to such details.
He further argued that Manase had been part of the process that might have awarded such salaries when he was vice chairman and also heard of the finance committee at some stage.
“You can tell that all this is coming from Manase,” said Mukuhlani. “But he was part of the process as vice chairman and head of finance committee all this would have passed through him. Manase, Coltart and Campbell are all bitter and are fighting the organization and to be honest I do not know why.”
Mukuhlani queried why salaries of the people who were appointed by Manase during his stint as chairman were not published. “Manase appointed, Dav Whatmore as coach, why has his salary not been published yet he earns a lot of money. Whatmore’s salary was paid a year in advance, before he set foot in Zimbabwe and he did not even inform the board. Why has Campbell’s salary not been published,” he questioned before adding. “I am saying when you have privileged information you do not go out and use it against your perceived opponents. ZC had elections and the process of the elections is such that the nomination is done through the secretariat which Manase controlled so to fight me that I won an election is the highest level of naivety and I didn’t expect it from him.”
He revealed that the real reason Campbell had quit was that his son had failed to make it into the Under 19 team adding that the former opening batsman had also been frustrated since ZC refused to give him perks he had been promised during Manase’s reign.
“Campbell wanted to work for ZC on a consultancy basis and he had demanded a salary of $10 000 per month and he wanted to work just three months in a year but getting paid every month. He wanted ZC to pay for his holidays; he wanted three international trips in a year and three in the region as well as ZC paying for his children’s school fees. I said no to all that. If refusing to grant him that amounts to frustrating him then I am sorry for putting the organisation’s interest first.”
He also said Campbell wanted to attend the ICC executive committee meetings which are supposed to be done by the ceo.
He also claimed Campbell had demanded the firing of Under-19 coach Steve Mangongo, director Esther Lupepe finance, director development Givemore Makoni and Nick Singo claiming that Manase had promised to do all that.
Mukuhlani said ZC had entered into contracts which were not beneficial and he was in the process of cleaning them.
“There are contracts that I had to clean, for instance they had a contract with Ihsan Sports which says ZC buys kit for $550 000 cash upfront for four years which amounted to over $2million and ZC would get sponsorship of $600 000 worth of equipment in return. I stopped it. Had to go through the TSM (television rights) contract which had to be redrafted it was poorly done.”
Coltart suggested on his Facebook page that the firing of former batting coach Andy Waller was a racist move saying that the player’s averages had improved during that period.
But Mukuhlani said averages without team results counted for nothing particularly when they lose to Afghanistan.
“Coltart is saying we must reward effort, I am different I will only reward results, Waller did not produce results and he needed to be out. Statistics are accurate but I don’t care because they are not giving us results. He is just an ordinary cricket fan and we do not make decisions based on what he likes or dislikes. His opinion does not matter to us. Unlike Manase who he was giving instructions I do not take instructions from him. I do not need to Coltart to believe in me. That he is privileged to have internet at his house where he can tweet does not make him a special fan.”
The visibly irate administrator also questioned Manase’s credentials. “I do not care that Coltart thinks Manase was a messiah of cricket. In any case where did Manase come from? Which cricket structure did Manase come from which club or province? Let’s see his cricket C.V where did he come from that he feels he is the messiah for ZC. He has no history and was fortunate to be where he was. They have formed an alliance to fight me but I am saying Coltart is free to contest elections or apply for a job we will consider him like everyone else. Manase is free to contest the next election if he thinks cricket needs him but I wonder if I give him a pen and paper he can write the names of the eleven players that take to the field. He doesn’t even know them.”
