Latest news with #ZimbabweCricket
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Tavengwa Mukuhlani Appointed ACA Chairman, Promises New Era For African Cricket
Last Updated: Tavengwa Mukuhlani is the new chairman of the Africa Cricket Association. He plans to improve governance and transparency, with initiatives like the Africa T20 competition. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been unanimously appointed as the chairman of the Africa Cricket Association (ACA), following his interim role since November 2023. His appointment was confirmed at the ACA's annual general meeting in Singapore on Friday, where all 23 member associations endorsed his leadership. Mukuhlani's confirmation comes at a crucial time for African cricket, which is undergoing structural reform. The ACA has recently adopted a new memorandum of incorporation aimed at enhancing governance and transparency across the continent. 'We stand today at the threshold of a new era for African cricket – an era defined by stronger governance, broader opportunity and renewed ambition," Mukuhlani said in a statement issued by Zimbabwe Cricket. 'Let us continue building on the progress we have made, united by a common purpose and driven by a shared love for the game." Among the key initiatives on the ACA's agenda are the long-awaited launch of a continent-wide Africa T20 competition, the revival of the Afro-Asia Cup, and the integration of cricket into the 2027 Africa Games in Egypt. Cricket made its debut at the Africa Games in 2023 in Ghana, where Zimbabwe won both the men's and women's events. South Africa had sent experimental squads, while Zimbabwe fielded an emerging men's team. An experienced administrator, Mukuhlani has led Zimbabwe Cricket since 2015, securing re-election three times. Under his leadership, ZC has reduced its debt, recovered from an ICC suspension over government interference, and secured a place for the women's team in the ICC's Future Tours Programme. (With IANS Inputs) view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 18:33 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Mail & Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- Mail & Guardian
Wiaan Mulder and the Selfless Spirit
The bigger man: Was SA cricketer Wiaan Mulder's decision not to contest Brian Lara's 400-run record humble or foolhardy? Photo: Zimbabwe Cricket Wiaan Mulder's unbeaten 367 during the second test between South Africa and Zimbabwe was exceptional for a myriad reasons. It is the highest score by a South African test batsman, the fifth-highest score of all time, the highest score by a debuting captain and the fastest 350 in history. Beyond these feats, he has demonstrated a desire to uphold the spirit of the game. Mulder has a tremendous respect for cricket. This spirit of the game is a difficult concept to define. Most cricketers and fans can identify specific actions that seemingly embody it, but there are still disputes about controversial topics such as mankading a batter or walking after edging the ball. A key aspect of the spirit of the game is the need for cricketers to respect others and the traditional values of cricket. Throughout the innings, it seemed as if Mulder was a man possessed. No other batter managed to score past 83, while Mulder batted like a video game character with the setting on easy. By the time lunch had arrived on day two, Mulder was on 367 and within touching distance of breaking Brian Lara's legendary world record score of 400. But, as lunch ended, the South Africans shocked the world, declaring their innings at 626/5, stranding Mulder on 367. The sudden declaration brought widespread speculation. What was the reason for Mulder forgoing his chance of unseating Lara? Were the South Africans afraid of not being able to win? This was unlikely because it was day two and the South African bowlers had bowled out the Zimbabweans easily in the previous test. Was Mulder injured? This question was answered when Mulder bowled the ninth over with no signs of discomfort. At the end of the day's play, Mulder finally answered why he had declared his innings. After consulting the coach, Shukri Conrad, he decided that it would be better for Lara to retain the record, stating, 'Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.' This declaration irked many people. Fans of cricket chastised Mulder, saying it was wrong not to try to break the record. The former teammate who batted with Lara during that world record innings, Chris Gayle, stated: 'Come on, youngster, you've blown it big time.' Lara himself told Mulder that they should have gone for the record. But Mulder stood firm in his decision to declare his innings as the right thing. This demonstrates his steadfast integrity and belief in upholding the spirit of the game. One message you get from the interviews Mulder gives is his respect and love for those around him. He consistently mentions others rather than hyping up his own accomplishments. He said his main goal was not to break any records but to win the game and make his teammates and country proud. It is evident from the way that he has nothing but respect for his teammates and those cricketers who have paved the way for him. This respect is undoubtedly a big part of why he decided to declare his innings. He wants the legendary Lara to keep his monumental record. Indeed, it appears that Mulder does not want to be compared to the legend himself, which may have influenced his decision to declare. It is easy to criticise him for not trying to get the record, but it should be noted that some have criticised Lara for getting the record at the expense of winning the game in 2004. Perhaps Mulder did not want to be similarly criticised, or maybe he does not enjoy the spotlight. This quality of selflessness is confusing to most fans of sport. People enjoy seeing the bombastic athletes dominate games and bask in the glory while breaking records. Mulder is clearly not that kind of athlete. He wants to perform his job and help his team win. This quality does not usually grab headlines, but it is so important for a thriving team. The drive to put the team above oneself is difficult to achieve; it can only be found in those who genuinely respect the spirit of the game. It is entirely possible that Mulder was wrong and was motivated by the coach or his fears of not reaching that record or being undeservingly named alongside cricketing legends. What cannot be questioned is that Mulder produced one of the finest batting displays in the history of cricket. He made South Africa proud and added to the legacy of cricket for the nation. He embodied his understanding of the spirit of the game, and it was glorious. Craig Thrupp is philosophy PhD graduate and educator who is passionate about sport and the spirit of the game.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Black Caps defeat has experimental Proteas searching for balance
STUMPED Proteas captain Rassie van der Dussen walks back despondently after being run-out in his team's 21-run defeat to New Zealand in Harare on Wednesday. Picture: Zimbabwe Cricket Image: Zimbabwe Cricket The Proteas' failure to build partnerships cost them dearly as they slumped to a 21-run defeat to New Zealand in their second match of the T20I Tri-Series at the Harare Sports Club yesterday. Both teams were evenly matched at the halfway stage, but a 103-run sixth-wicket partnership between Tim Robinson and debutant Bevon Jacobs lifted the Black Caps to 173/5 from a precarious 74/5. In contrast, the Proteas lost wickets at regular intervals despite solid contributions from Dewald Brevis (35), George Linde (30), and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (27) to eventually be bowled out for 152 with 10 balls still remaining in their innings. "I thought it was gettable. It was a good pitch. We didn't get any rhythm going, really, with our batting, particularly early on in the batting department. I think that's quite key when you're chasing a score, just getting some sort of rhythm going in the line-up, get a partnership early on," Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince said. "If you don't do that, you're kind of behind the eight ball, and you're always trying to catch up. We know that we have the power to catch up, keeping an eye on the difference between the runs required and the balls left, and we managed to bring that down nicely. But at the same time, we kept losing wickets. So, it's just about finding that balance when you're chasing that score." The fact that the entire Tri-Series is being played at the Harare Sports Club also played a part in how the Proteas approached the run-chase. The coaching staff tried to maintain a left-right batting combination in the middle as Rubin Herman (1) and Senuran Muthusamy (7) found themselves being promoted up the order to No 3 and 4 respectively, as the management looked to take advantage of the smaller side of the ground for boundaries. While the proactive decision didn't work, Prince gave a reason behind the decision-making. "I think today's lineup was maybe a little bit experimental as well in terms of left-right combinations, all those types of things that you try and put in place to try and maximise the short boundary," said Prince. "You know, next time we play, it might be in the middle of the pitch, then you don't make a decision like that. So it'll be different. Next game, you play what's in front of you. We know that we have the firepower to win every game in the series. But we also respect our position. We are also beatable." While the batters had an off day yesterday, the bowlers had a good shift upfront, with Kwena Maphaka (2/38) leading showing intent with the new ball, while left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy (1/19) was impressive on debut. "I felt we bowled really well. The plans were pretty good, we used the bouncer pretty well and that brought us a few wickets. Sen Muthusamy on debut, I think he bowled four overs for 19 and took one for 19, so that was outstanding," said Prince. "I think they (New Zealand) had a good finish towards the end. The two guys played really well in that partnership towards the end, which gave them a competitive score, but still a gettable score. So the bowling, I think, was pretty good." Having won one and lost one in their first two games of the Tri-Series thus far, the Proteas will have a few days off and return to action on Sunday when they take on Zimbabwe.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Black Caps put the squeeze on as Proteas youngsters fall short at Harare Sports Club
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi claimed two wickets to propel the Black Caps to a 21-run victory over the Proteas in Harare on Wednesday. Picture: Zimbabwe Cricket Image: Zimbabwe Cricket The Blackcaps beat the Proteas by 21 runs in the second T20I of the ongoing Tri-Series at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Wednesday. Chasing 174 runs to win the match, the Proteas openers, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Reeza Hendricks, had a blistering start with the bat. Pretorius (27) in particular had an impressive start to the chase, racing to 27 following six glorious strikes down the ground against Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy (3/20), who took the new ball for the Black Caps. Henry (3/34) put a stop to the youngster's dominant start as he induced an edge off the left-handed batter's bat with gloveman Tim Seifert taking an easy catch behind the stumps to hand the Black Caps their first scalp of the match. 🚨 MATCH RESULT 🚨 An enthralling contest that went right down to the wire, a game of fine margins and big moments 💥🏏 Unfortunately, our Proteas Men fell just short as New Zealand claimed victory by 21 runs. 🇿🇦#WozaNawe — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 16, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Looking to maintain the left-hand and right-hand combination in the middle, Rubin Hermann was promoted up the order, only for the batter to walk back to the pavilion an over later. Conrad persisted with the combination as Senuran Muthusamy was sent in at No 4, ahead of Rassie van der Dussen and Dewald Brevis. That too did not amount to anything as Muthusamy only made seven as the Proteas lost wickets at regular intervals. Brevis, who walked away with the Player of the Match award against Zimbabwe earlier in the week, picked up where he left off, smashing a series of big sixes as he transferred the pressure back on the Black Caps bowling attack. George Linde offered a resistance towards the backend with a quickfire 30, but his demise ensured that the Black Caps were too good on the day, wrapping up the Proteas innings in 18.2 overs to win the match by 21 runs. 🚨 Change of Innings 🚨 A dramatic final 5 overs brings the first innings to a thrilling close in this second T20I of the Tri-Nations Series 🔥💪 Now it's over to our batters to chase down 174 to secure a second win in this competition 🇿🇦.#WozaNawe — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 16, 2025 Earlier, the Proteas quicks carried their momentum from their impressive bowling display against Zimbabwe earlier in the week and established their dominance in the contest against the Black Caps batters, reducing Rob Walters' men to 43/2 in the first Powerplay. Kwena Maphaka, having been drafted into the playing XI for Nandre Burger, led from the front, claiming two wickets inside the opening 10 overs as he accounted for Devon Conway (9) with a vicious bouncer and the experienced James Neesham for a duck. Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee and Senuran Muthusamy chipped in with one wicket apiece as they helped the Proteas reduce the Black Caps to 70/5 after 9.3 overs of the contest. From there on in, it was the Black Caps show as Tim Robinson (75 not out) and Bevon Jacobs (44 not out) combined for an unbeaten 103 runs to propel the Black Caps to a competitive 173/5. Robinson and Jacobs smashed a total of six sixes and seven fours between them as they feasted on what was a poor bowling performance from the Proteas bowlers in the last 10 overs of the innings. New Zealand: 173/5 (Robinson 75*, Jacobs 44*, Maphaka 2/38) South Africa: 152 all out (Brevis 35, Linde 30, Duffy 3/20, Henry 3/34) New Zealand won by 21 runs
Associated Press
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Mulder closes South Africa crushing Zimbabwe in heaviest innings defeat in 20 years
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AP) — Wiaan Mulder suitably took the last catch for South Africa to hand Zimbabwe its heaviest innings defeat in 20 years and clean sweep their two-test series on Tuesday. The recently crowned world test champion Proteas won the second test by an innings and 236 runs inside three days at Queens Sports Club. South Africa's winning streak was extended to a new record of 10 tests. Zimbabwe was dismissed for 170 in 43 overs on Monday and, forced to follow on, delayed the inevitable for 78 more overs before succumbing on 220 on Tuesday afternoon. Zimbabwe's match total of 390 runs was just 23 more than Mulder made on his own in his first test as South Africa captain. His record-setting 367 not out, the all-time fifth highest individual score, propelled South Africa to 626-5 declared. In a dream game for the allrounder, he also took three wickets and three catches. Zimbabwe started the day on 51-1 and lost two wickets in the morning, including the dangerous Sean Williams, who tried to block Mulder and lost his off stump on 11. Before lunch, Nick Welch achieved his third 50 in his fifth test but was out soon after the break for 55 to a slip catch by Mulder off slow left-armer Senuran Muthusamy. Welch's wicket began a slow collapse of seven wickets for 67 runs, highlighted by captain Craig Ervine's 95-ball resistance for 49. Corbin Bosch took 4-38, Codi Yusuf 2-38 and Muthusamy 3-77. Zimbabwe's winless streak in Bulawayo was run to 22 tests, 17 of them losses. The series marked South Africa's first test tour in 11 years to its neighbor but the games were not counted in the World Test Championship as Zimbabwe was not in the WTC. ___ AP cricket:
