After the heartbreak of ICC qualification, Zimbabwe cricket will restructure.

The Committee of Inquiry, which was established to look into Zimbabwe’s World Cup qualifying failures and review the cricket affairs system, has received full support from Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).

Despite hosting the qualifier in June of last year, Zimbabwe was unable to secure a spot in the Men’s ODI World Cup in 2023. They also did not make it into the Men’s T20 World Cup of 2024, which is scheduled to begin on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies. Interestingly, head coach Dave Houghton resigned after his team failed to get to the World Cup.

The board “adopted the comprehensive report presented by a committee of inquiry that was established to probe Zimbabwe’s World Cup qualification failures as well as to review ZC’s cricket affairs structure,” according to a Zimbabwe cricket statement.

Following input from internal and external stakeholders, the three-person committee—whose chairperson is Mr. Lloyd Mhishi—presented its conclusions to Zimbabwe cricket. The board resolved to implement the committee’s recommendations immediately and to accept the report in its entirety.

The report’s main recommendations are to reorganize ZC’s Cricket Affairs Department and its staff, restructure ZC’s domestic and development pathways, advertise for candidates to lead Zimbabwe Senior Men’s and Zimbabwe Under-19 Men’s national teams, reorganize the first-class coaching setup, create a National Academy, and establish indoor training facilities in each of the five first-class provinces.

Management had four weeks to consider each of the Mhishi Committee’s recommendations and submit an action plan to the board. The board also approved Walter Chawaguta’s appointment as the senior head coach of the Zimbabwe Senior Women’s National Team during the meeting. Chawaguta is a former Zimbabwe cricketer and men’s team coach. Additionally, the board has accepted Prosper Utseya’s resignation as head coach of Zimbabwe’s Under-19 Men’s National Team.