Zimbabwe look abroad to bolster domestic game

A report in Zimbabwe's Independent newspaper claims that Zimbabwe Cricket are trying to lure club sides from Asia to give the domestic game a desperately-needed fillip.

The first-class structure virtually collapsed in 2005-06 after bitter infighting among stakeholders, clashes between clubs and the board, and the continuing exodus of players. The Logan Cup, Zimbabwe's century-old first-class competition, was not held, and the Faithwear Cup, the one-day tournament, was reduced to a virtual farce.

A ZC spokesman maintained that the Logan Cup would take place, stating a decision had been made to shift the domestic season. "The Zimbabwe climate is such that cricket can be played all year round, and we intend to fully utilise our climatic conditions," a spokesman told Cricinfo. "Therefore our season will run from January to December." This caught stakeholders completely unawares.

The Independent stated that two club sides from Asia had been approached, quoting a board source as saying: "ZC is in discussion with a number of cricket institutions with the willingness to send clubs to participate in first-class cricket in the country." It was also reported that Bangladesh A might be asked to participate.

What is uncertain is how this will be funded, as ZC has long been rumoured to be strapped for cash. However, even thought Zimbabwe suspended themselves from Test cricket in January, their income from the ICC remains unaffected, so they should receive several million dollars as a Full Member.

The paper added that Ozias Bvute, ZC's managing director, could not be drawn into discussing the foreign clubs issue, only saying the board had tabled "major plans to revive the local game".