ZC upbeat over Test cricket return

Test cricket, which can see a match being decided over five days, remains the highest form of the sport despite the popularity of the more entertaining one day version of the game and the advent of the twenty-twenty matches. The decision to readmit Zimbabwe follows a recent ICC meeting in which it was agreed that the country had implemented many administrative reforms since voluntarily pulling out of Test cricket in 2006 and that the changes had led to the resuscitation of the sport after years of decline.

The decision has been well received in Zimbabwean cricket circles with Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director Ozias Bvute pointing out that it would give a chance for the team to showcase its talent to a larger audience. “It is important for people to know that we did not pull out of Test cricket. It was a voluntary decision, taken so that we would be able to build a strong team for the future. It was only fair that we be given a chance to return.

“We earned our right to become a Test cricket nation during the 1990s and the backbone of the structures that enabled us to achieve this are still there and intact. “We have a young team and the return of many former players has strengthened our structures incredibly. We showed that we are competitive during the recent tour in South Africa and I am happy that some of lads will now have a chance to play at a higher level,” said Bvute, who was speaking from Harare.

He added that Zimbabwe still had players with Test cricket experience such as Tatenda Taibu and Hamilton Masakadza. Zimbabwe’s return means that there will now be 10 Test cricket playing nations – including Australia, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, England, New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh and South Africa.