Sports
Memories of Zimbabwe 2004
Cricket in Harare between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka invariably stirs memories of that fateful tour 21 years ago, a series that put Sri Lanka on the world map for more reasons than one. It was in Zimbabwe in 2004 that Muttiah Muralitharan, the smiling assassin, toppled Courtney Walsh’s record to become Test cricket’s highest wicket-taker. From then on, Murali and Shane Warne were locked in a neck-and-neck tussle, trading blows like prizefighters until Warne’s retirement left Murali to reign supreme.
That series, though, was more than just leather on willow. ‘Zimbabwe 2004’ was littered with drama both on and off the field. For us reporters, it was a crash course not only in cricket but in the dark underbelly of a nation.
At the helm stood Robert Mugabe — once a freedom fighter, but by then a despot whose policies were driving his nation into isolation. Unlike Nelson Mandela, who united South Africa and bowed out gracefully, Mugabe clung to power with the stickiness of a bat refusing to leave the crease. In trying to curry favour with the black majority, he alienated the white minority and eventually his innings ended in chaos.
Cricket, too, was unravelling. Once a competitive outfit, Zimbabwe imploded in a pay dispute. Senior white players were on the warpath, paving the way for as many as five Test debutants. Against such weakened opposition, Sri Lanka marched through the tour like a side batting on a featherbed — unbeaten, with seven wins from eight games, the solitary warm-up washed away by rain.
The defining moment came when Mluleki Nkala edged one to bat-pad, Mahela Jayawardene snapping up a sharp diving catch. That was Murali’s 520th scalp, Walsh’s long-standing record had tumbled.
There were other highlights. A baby-faced Farveez Maharoof, then Sri Lanka’s Under-19 captain, was blooded in Tests. In one ODI, Zimbabwe were bundled out for a paltry 35, a scorecard that looked more like a phone number, with the match done and dusted inside 27 overs.
But while cricket thrived for Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe outside the boundary ropes was crumbling. Inflation was obscene, one US dollar fetched 5,200 Zimbabwe dollars, and you literally needed a suitcase to encash a mere hundred USD. Sri Lankan doctors clung on in Bulawayo, though most were plotting their escape routes. Ordinary Zimbabweans bore the brunt; only the military seemed immune, wielding unchecked power. And yet, crime was low, unlike Durban or Johannesburg, you could walk the streets of Harare and Bulawayo without feeling you were playing a dangerous shot.
Mugabe’s fortified residence loomed right beside Harare Sports Club. Journalists heading to the ground trudged past checkpoints, sometimes interrupted by presidential helicopters buzzing overhead. The cricket board itself was firmly in Mugabe’s pocket. Its cigar-puffing chief, Peter Chingoka, once publicly threatened AFP’s John Kelly during a press briefing, forcing him to retract comments. The message was clear — toe the line, or perish.
Media accreditation was another minefield. A visiting journalist had to register with the Ministry, cough up USD 250, and endure a bureaucratic send-off to freedom of the press. Britain’s Daily Telegraph dispatched Mihir Bose to cover Murali’s impending milestone, but when Bose strayed into politics, he was promptly deported.
And yet, Zimbabwe was a land of breathtaking beauty. Victoria Falls roared in majestic splendour, a reminder of what the country could offer if freed from the shackles of poor governance.
Years later, Mugabe was finally bundled out in a coup. The nation, much like a side rebuilding after a collapse, is still picking itself up from the wreckage. Zimbabwe’s people deserve better — not a dictator. Their cricket, too, deserves better — not an authoritarian like Chingoka.
by Rex Clementine ✍️
Sri Lanka women will tour the West Indiesfor a multi-format white-ball series in February-March. The tour will consist of three ODIs and three T20Is between February 20 to March 3.
All six games of the tour will be played at Grenada National Stadium. The first ODI will be on February 20, followed by games on February 22 and 25. The T20I series then starts on February 28, followed by games on March 1 and 3.
The T20I series, in particular, will be crucial as both teams look to build their prep towards the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup in the UK this summer. Both West Indies and Sri Lanka are in Group 2 of the competition alongside hosts England, New Zealand and two qualifiers not yet determined.
Sri Lanka will be looking to win their first T20I series since their Asia Cup triumph of 2024. West Indies have won their last two T20I series at home against Bangladesh and South Africa.
Sri Lanka last toured the Caribbean for an ODI and T20I series in 2024. That tour saw the visitors win the ODIs 3-0 and the hosts claim the T20Is 2-1.
[Cricinfo]
Cricket Scotland has received assurances that the ICC is working “very, very hard” to ensure Scotland’s players will be granted Indian visas in time for their opening T20 World Cup fixture on February 7 – including fast bowler Safyaan Shariff, who has Pakistani heritage.
Scotland were the beneficiaries of Bangladesh’s last-minute withdrawal from the World Cup as the highest-ranked team who had not already qualified, and named a 15-man squad on Monday afternoon which is due to fly to India later this week.
The state of political and diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan has resulted in regular delays for Pakistani nationals or those with Pakistani heritage when applying for Indian visas in recent years, including several cricketers.
But Cricket Scotland is confident that Sharif – who was born in Huddersfield to a Pakistani father and a British-Pakistani mother before moving to Scotland aged seven – will be granted a visa in time for the team’s opening match against West Indies in Kolkata.
“We are all committed [to] working with the ICC to make that happen,” Trudy Lindblade, Cricket Scotland’s chief executive, said on Monday. “The visa piece is always slightly an unknown, and it doesn’t matter whether you’ve got three days or whether you’ve got 45 days.
“Certainly that’s been our focus in the last 48 hours: just getting those visas done so our players are all ready to go. They’re all in the middle of submitting their visas and we will be there on the ground in India as quickly as we can, so it’s just a matter of time now.
“[The ICC] can only give us the assurances of the bits that they can control and, absolutely, of the bits that they control, we are working with them and obviously they’re working with the BCCI and local people on the ground there to make sure that we are getting all of that support that we need.
“So, absolutely, [they have given] the assurance that they can provide of things that were in their control. There is a team working very, very hard to not just help us, but to help 19 other teams as well that are also going to a World Cup. But we are their intense focus right now.”
Scotland will also apply for visas for two travelling reserves and three non-travelling reserves so that they will be able to field a team even in the event of delays and their head of performance, Steve Snell, said that the ICC had been “fantastic” in supporting their hurried preparations.
“We also anticipate some support whenever we can [get it] from the BCCI,” Snell said. “I don’t think we need to escalate that any further to get into the country, because you’d suggest that Scotland being invited to attend the World Cup and then not being able to get there wouldn’t be a great look for anybody.”
There are three changes to Scotland’s squad since the 2024 T20 World Cup, when they narrowly missed out on qualification for the Super 8s, with 19-year-old Afghanistan-born fast bowler Zainullah Ihsan in line for an international debut after winning his maiden call-up.
Tom Bruce, who played 17 T20Is for New Zealand as a middle-order batter from 2017 to 2020, is another significant inclusion, having switched allegiance to Scotland last year and made his ODI debut for them in August.
Chris Sole, the express fast bowler, is a notable absentee. Sole, who has regularly registered speeds in excess of 90mph/145kph, has played franchise cricket in the ILT20 and the CPL and featured for Scotland at their last World Cup appearance, but has not played a professional match since late 2024 as he focuses on a non-playing career in recruitment.
Ihsan, Bruce and batter Finlay McCreath are the three players involved who did not feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad, replacing Sole, Oli Haris and Jack Jarvis (who is one of the travelling reserves).
Hampshire seamer Scott Currie, who played three ODIs in early 2024, was not considered as he is no longer eligible for selection.
Currie, whose older brother Brad is part of the squad, was picked by England for their T20I series against Ireland in September and while he did not win a cap, the fact that he was named as an official substitute on their teamsheet renders him unavailable for Scotland until September 2028 under ICC regulations.
Scotland are due to play warm-up matches against Afghanistan and Namibia in Bengaluru on February 2 and 4 before their opening fixture against West Indies in Kolkata. Their other first-round matches are against Italy, England and Nepal, with the top two teams in Group B then qualifying for the Super 8s stage.
“The squad selection is subject to all player and staff visa applications being approved,” Cricket Scotland said in a statement. “Given the limited notice for Scotland’s participation at the tournament and timescale for selecting players, two travelling reserves have been selected while three others will be non-travelling reserves.”
Scotland squad for T20 World Cup:
Richie Berrington (capt), Tom Bruce, Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Oli Davidson, Chris Greaves, Zainullah Ihsan, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Finlay McCreath, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal
Travelling reserves: Jasper Davidson, Jack Jarvis
Non-travelling reserves: Mackenzie Jones, Chris McBride, Charlie Tear
[Cricinfo]
England won the toss and chose to bat first in the deciding ODI in Colombo. Although England won the previous game chasing, the Khettarama surface tends to slow under lights, leading to its reputation as a notoriously difficult venue on which to bat second. Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka also chose to bat first when he won the toss in the first two ODIs.
Sri Lanka made one change to the XI that lost on Saturday, jettisoning seam bowler Pramod Madushan to include spin-bowling allrounder Wanidu Hasaranga, who had been rested for the first two games. This means Sri Lanka have only one frontline seamer – Asitha Fernando – in their XI, though part-time seam bowler Janith Liyanage is also in the side. The hosts also bat deep, with Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage likely to be No. 8 and 9.
England are unchanged from Saturday, which means legspinning allrounder Rehan Ahmed again opens in place of Zak Crawley.
Blue skies prevailed over the toss at Khettarama. Though evening showers are always possible in Colombo, January tends to be among the drier months.
England: Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (capt.), Jos Buttler (wk), Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka: Kamil Mishara, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka (capt.), Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando
[Cricinfo]
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