Campbell in passionate appeal to sponsors
Sp1

LEADING THE WAY . . . Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Wilson Manase (right) stresses a point at a media conference, flanked by ZC managing director, development and commercial Alistair Campbell in Harare yesterday

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket managing director in charge of the game’s development and commercial wings, Alistair Campbell, has rallied the corporate world to back their eight-year plan to turn around the game and the team.The former Zimbabwe skipper has been roped into the ZC management team.

“Maybe, in the past, some of the cooperates have felt that Zimbabwe Cricket has not been accountable enough with the cash that has been available but we want to say that from now on, going forward, every dollar you have given us brings back some tangible result,” said Campbell.

“We need to have proper structures that will give confidence to the corporate world.  There has been some good overtures from some of our previous partners and it’s a good sign.

“We need to do that for six months or so and we will see the partners getting aboard because every company wants to see the youth given the opportunity.

“It is something we need to start now and do it right. I guess our biggest task it to turn over the perception that the world has about Zimbabwe Cricket as it is not a good one.

“We are said to be an association that does not pay players. We have engaged some of the companies that were part of the sponsors and they are willing to partner us.

“But we will have to start with small proposals and grow big as the team performs better and we prove to them that we are indeed accountable.”

He said they needed funds for building a formidable side that would compete well at the 2019 and 2023 World Cup tournaments where a new format has been introduced by the International Cricket Council.

The format means only the top eight teams will make it automatically to the World Cup while others have to fight in the qualifiers.

“We have an eight-year plan that we have talked about and we need to start doing things right now if we are to realise it in 2023 that we want to get more matches played here so that by 2023 we will be contenders or winners of the World Cup,” said Campbell.

“It’s a realistic aim that is achievable, we are talking eight years time and this means we are looking at guys that are about 15-17-year-olds and they need a lot of attention.

“Not taking anything from the national team, but we need to make sure that we have competitive Under-19s and competitive Under-17s and they are getting access to professional coaching and that the amenities must be great.

“It comes with the commercial side of the game that if we have a team that is competitive or wins most of their games or have a team that seems to be improving then people are willing to part with their money because they see that it’s nice being associated with a good brand.

“A lot of that takes money and we need money to drive the structures so together with my department we are going to have to meet corporates, not only local, but also international, to involve them and make sure they play a part and prove that we are not paying lip service but show that there actually are tangible benefits from the money that is being put in.

“It’s a big task but we have to start at square one again and build again, putting the right people in the right places,” he added.

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