Zimbabwe coaching team sacked after World Cup disappointment
After failing to qualify for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has sacked Heath Streak as head coach of the national team.
After failing to qualify for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has sacked Heath Streak from his position as head coach of the national team. Along with Streak, batting coach Lance Klusener, bowling coach Douglas Hondo, fielding coach Walter Chawaguta, fitness coach Sean Bell and team analyst Stanley Chioza have all lost their jobs. Graeme Cremer has also been relieved as team captain with wicket-keeper Brendan Taylor in line to to take over as skipper.
Streak disappointed of ZC’s actions
In an email sent to Streak on Thursday, ZC MD Faisal Hasnian wrote: "Further to our discussions, please give your technical staff (and yourself included) until 3pm tomorrow to formally resign. After which time the technical team can consider themselves dismissed and relieved of their duties with immediate effect", Hasnian was cited as writing by ESPNCricInfo.
However, Streak and his staff refused to resign, as they didn’t consider their overall work with the team as a failure.
"For everything I have given Zimbabwe Cricket, as a former player and a coach, to be given an email with no full explanation or even the courtesy of a hearing is something I didn't expect", Streak said. "I understand that every coach's tenure will come to an end, but we should at least have been given the chance to give our comments and ask some questions. I was looking to take the team to the World T20 in 2020".
Zimbabwe fails to qualify for the first time in 35 years
The southern Africa nation hosted the qualification process for the 2019 World Cup, at which the West Indies and Afghanistan achieved the two-final tickets for the competition at England and Wales. It is the first time Zimbabwe won’t be playing in the World Cup since 1983.
(https://twitter.com/ICCMediaComms/status/978174231082160128)
The ICC has also thanked Zimbabwe Cricket and their volunteers for putting together a successful ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018, https://t.co/Qtz3SxAxOs #cricket @icc — ICC Media (@ICCMediaComms) 26 March 2018