“They left families for months to pursue T20 World Cup Qualification” – Women’s cricket assistant coach on heartbroken players

Zimbabwe women’s cricket coach Sinikiwe Mpofu is heartbroken as her side is on the verge of losing out on a dream of playing quality sides in the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Scotland.

Namibian batsman Maryke Short looses her wicket in action during a World Cup Cricket Qualifier Final match played with Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club in Harare, May 12 2019.

This is after the International Cricket Council suspended Zimbabwe from its membership and ordered the Sports and Recreation Council to reinstate a Tavengwa Mukhuhlani.

The Lady Chevrons had impressed in May as they beat all the sides before them to qualify for the Global Qualifier in Scotland.

After those matches, the only way seemed to be up with the coach Adam Chifo invited along with four players to take part in the prestigious Global Development side taking on some of the best in the England top flight women’s league in cricket.

A crestfallen Mpofu, implored the SRC to back down saying the girls had sacrificed a lot to get there.

This is our life..this is our game..we have invested years and years into this…why now should we be denied a chance to qualify for the WORLD CUP and emulate what the Zim Gems have done!!! Why are women not taken seriously in anything??? Nooooo this has to stop… S.R.C pliz help us pursue our dreams …we have brought smiles into peoples sad faces…Have we not done the nation proud by qualifying for Scotland next month???Do you know we have a high chance of a World Cup birth in about 4 weeks to come…We WANT TO BE THE PRIDE OF THE NATION….Surely you can not deny us that opportunity after successfully Hosting the regional qualifiers which we came out tops..I wont talk about the preparations we went through…I wont talk about the sacrifices these women went through leaving their families for months to pursue their dreams….Please Find it in your hearts to feel for the Lady Chevrons!!! Time is ticking away and we might lose this golden opportunity which might never come!!!

As it stands the Mukhuhlani-led Zimbabwe Cricket board has said it is willing to work with the SRC to resolve the impasse and get Zimbabwe back into international cricket.

As it stands, while the adults fight, it is the children who are not OK. And some say it is OK for them to suffer as long as the adults get their way.