![]() “In the past, cricket has been marginalised as a sport for the rich.” The most expensive tickets for the ongoing qualifiers - in Grand Stand - haven’t been more than 10 dollars whereas seats across the rest of the ground have ranged around two dollars.Ī post shared by ICC community reach is a must in Zimbabwe, both in terms of those who play and those who consume the sport. People are excited about what the team is doing.”Ī plus has been the reshaping of the sport’s image. “When you look at the national teams, it’s the one sport that’s filling up the stadiums. However, the revival of the men’s national cricket team compounded with a FIFA suspension has meant cricket “becoming the number one national sport,” says Mamhiyo. Much like the rest of the continent, football has traditionally been the most followed sport in Zimbabwe. 100 overs of good cricket, and you can just relax before you go back the next day and start all over again.” It’s not always been the case though. “It’s been a place where you can go and get a chance to forget any other problem. It is during this time - for the past couple of weeks - that cricket has been a relaxing outlet for the locals. There were riots in the capital ahead of the World Cup qualifiers. Perhaps, the perfect setting for a bigger picture in a nation facing inflation rates going through the roof and a crucial election in a month’s time. In the backdrop of the Harare Sports Club, and a four minute walk away, is the State House. It was a difficult period for Zimbabwe cricket as well as the fans.”īut let’s take off our cricket glasses for a wider view. I’m talking about people who are passionate about this game, people that break down crying when things go wrong. “We were there, the whole union, when we lost to the UAE,” he tells The Indian Express, further describing a set of adjectives thoroughly applicable following their most recent outing. Five years back, when the nation hosted the qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup, Godwin Mamhiyo was there to witness another heartbreak, as he was on Tuesday. A defeat to Scotland in the qualifying fixture on Tuesday sealed their fate. An absence for only a second occasion since they made their tournament debut all the way back in 1983. Zimbabwe will not be playing in the ODI World Cup for a second time in four years. Five wins were followed by two defeats, and that was that. Some 7,800 miles away from England – where a strong case for winning not being the only thing that matters in sport has been made over the past couple of weeks – in the city of Bulawayo, a defeat doesn’t completely feel like one.
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