Fans of Zimbabwe Cricket Team Left Crestfallen as ICC Bans Their National Team

The decision by the ICC on Thursday to take away “Full Member” status effectively puts Zimbabwe’s participation in doubt for the qualifiers for the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2020.

The team’s stalwart batsman Sikandar Raza and former captain Brendan Taylor took to social media to express their dismay at the ICC’s decision.  

@ICC It's heartbreaking to hear your verdict and suspend cricket in Zimbabwe. The @ZimbabweSrc has no government back round yet our Chairman is an MP? Hundreds of honest people,players, support staff,ground staff totally devoted to ZC out of a job,just like that. 💔

— Brendan Taylor (@BrendanTaylor86) 18 July 2019

How one decision has made a team , strangers
How one decision has made so many people unemployed
How one decision effect so many families
How one decision has ended so many careers
Certainly not how I wanted to say goodbye to international cricket. @ICC pic.twitter.com/lEW02Qakwx

— Sikandar Raza (@SRazaB24) 18 July 2019

A number of fans too criticised the ICC’s decision and hoped the decision would be revoked.

Harsh on Zimbabwean cricketers who are sticking their neck out from domestic turmoil and scarce resources. Blow to their morale. Hopefully situation will improve as we really need strong Zimbabwean team for betterment of cricket

— Ganesh Shelke (@ganeshshelke272) 18 July 2019

I'm heartbroken, no cricket in Harare for years to come. The only matches I watched this year were against the UAE 😑

— Tatenda Goche 🇿🇼🇿🇦🇬🇧 (@goche_tatenda) 18 July 2019

This is a bad news especially for a country like Zimbabwe which is already going through crisis since long. Sometimes politics play a key role in destruction of so many progressive aspects. I think ICC should be considerate towards such countries.

— Farina (@different_F) 18 July 2019

Some fans, however, remained supportive of the ICC’s decision of standing up against political interference in cricket.

Good decision... No outside party should interfere in the board's decision.. Zimbabwe cricket is corrupt to its root , it immediately needs an overhaul .

— Vivek Sharma (@IMViiku) 18 July 2019

Good step... They r just wasting icc's money... Better invest in Afg,Ire,scotland,netherland

— Deep Paul (@EdgedndGone) 18 July 2019

The ICC’s board in a unanimous decision found that the Zimbabwe Cricket board had failed to provide a process for free and democratic elections. The board also decided to suspend all kinds of funding to Zimbabwe, alleging that the country’s government was interfering with the affairs of the cricket board.

ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar in a statement said there is a need to keep sports away from political intervention. “We do not take the decision to suspend a Member lightly, but we must keep our sport free from political interference".  

“What has happened in Zimbabwe is a serious breach of the ICC Constitution and we cannot allow it to continue unchecked. The ICC wants cricket to continue in Zimbabwe in accordance with the ICC Constitution", he added.