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Alistair Campbell quits as director of Zimbabwe Cricket

Campbell had assumed lot of power and responsibility under the stewardship of Harare lawyer Wilson Manase.

But his responsibilities have been reduced to international cricket alone and there had been murmurs that the former national team captain had quit cricket administration, a suggestion Campbell disputed yesterday.

It has, however, been established that Campbell is not happy about the new developments which have seen franchise cricket administration transferred from his office to that of MD for development Givemore Makoni’s office.


 
The commercial wing which had been transferred from Esther Lupepe’s office to Campbell’s wing has also been taken away from him and restored to the former’s wing.

ZC’s restructuring earlier this year saw the organisation create three MD offices headed by Campbell, Makoni and Lupepe. But since the new era that came about with the new board, Campbell has been watching as his influence dwindled to the benefit of the other MDs.

All Campbell is running now is international cricket.

A ZC insider yesterday told NewsDay Sport that Campbell was increasingly getting frustrated as developments unraveled in front of him. Most of his recommendations, which he thought would move the game forward, have since been thrown into the dustbin.

 

He has been stripped of most of his previous duties, which saw him run most of the important aspects of the game that included franchise cricket, development and the commercial affairs.

- said the source.

“He had come up with his own set of coaches that he had recommended to the board, but his advice was not taken and different people have been appointed.”

It is understood Campbell had recommended the hiring of Gavin Ewing as the national Under-19 coach assisted by Andy Blignaut and Alester Maregwede. Steve Mangongo has since been appointed the age group team coach.

 

Campbell is no longer handling the commercial aspects of the game and franchise cricket has been transferred from his office.

In his appointment of Campbell as managing director, Manase explained that he believed the former batsman had the expertise to move the game forward.

But at that time there was some dissent in the cricket quarters over Campbell assuming so much power and responsibility.
Campbell refused to comment when contacted yesterday. Mukuhlani was elected new ZC boss at last month’s annual general meeting replacing Manase, who had been interim chairman since Peter Chingoka’s resignation in July 2014.

Since he has taken over and in addition to changes made to Campbell’s job description, ZC has appointed Mangongo to the juniors as well as hiring David Mutendera and Walter Chawaguta as national selectors. Campbell played 60 Tests and 188 ODIs between February 1992 and March 2003 and was one of the first of a crop of former players who became involved with the administration.

The former chief selector and later chairman of the body’s cricket committee also played an instrumental role in ending Zimbabwe’s six-year self-imposed exile from Test cricket in 2011. However, after leaving the association, Campbell had been critical of the then financially-troubled Zimbabwe Cricket, calling for more former international players in the national coaching set-up.

He was influential in bringing former Pakistan and Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore to preside over the struggling national team.

Source -  NewsDay Sport



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