By 
*By Ross Moyo*
*HARARE, ZIMBABWE –* In the fiercely competitive world of international cricket, administrative excellence often goes unnoticed, overshadowed by the heroics of players on the field. Yet, the recent resurrection of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is a story not of a spectacular six, but of meticulous planning, financial discipline, and visionary leadership. At the heart of this transformation stand two men: Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani and Managing Director Givemore Makoni.
Their partnership, the linchpin of ZC’s success over the last decade, has turned a broken, debt-ridden institution into a financially sound, globally respected cricketing nation. The Chevrons’ recent triumphant qualification for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is merely the crowning sporting achievement of a profound administrative revolution.
*The Great Financial Escape: Clearing the $27 Million Hurdle*
When this leadership took the reins, Zimbabwe Cricket was crippled by a staggering legacy debt, once reported to be as high as US$27 million. This financial abyss threatened the very existence of the game in the country.
Mukuhlani,
a medical practitioner affectionately known as ‘Doc’ in ICC circles, and Makoni, a co-founder of the historic Takashinga Cricket Club, spearheaded an intricate debt resolution plan. Through aggressive consolidation and early repayment strategies including clearing obligations to the ICC and local banks they systematically whittled the debt down. By 2020, they had successfully reduced this crippling obligation to a negligible figure, a feat the Chairman described as breaking “the chains that had enslaved our organisation to an unending cycle of financial troubles.”
This financial stability laid the essential groundwork for all subsequent successes. The most immediate impact: players and staff are now paid on time, consistently, with the days of outstanding salaries and match fees firmly in the past. This adherence to fiscal responsibility has earned ZC a stellar reputation, notably becoming the only known sports federation in the country consistently returning clean audited accounts year after year, a testament to world-class corporate governance.
*Revitalizing the Roots: The Development Imperative*
For Mukuhlani and Makoni
, prosperity at the top is meaningless without a strong base. They aggressively revived the grassroots game:
*Domestic Structure:* The consistent scheduling and expansion of elite domestic tournaments, including the first-class, List A, and T20 competitions, have guaranteed vital game time for local talent. The National Premier League (NPL) was launched under Makoni’s guidance, creating a clear pathway from club to national level. While exact yearly figures for matches played vary, the consistent season-on-season running of four-day, 50-over, and T20 competitions across the provincial franchises and the NPL has resulted in **hundreds of matches played annually**—a volume unseen in years, fueling the national team pipeline.
*Women’s Cricket Ascendancy:* The women’s game, led by the ‘Lady Chevrons,’ has seen dramatic structural growth. ZC launched two key inter-provincial women’s tournaments—the Fifty50 Challenge and the Women’s T20 Cup ensuring regular, competitive cricket for female athletes. This has led to international recognition, including the ICC awarding the Lady Chevrons permanent ODI status in 2021 and their inclusion in the Women’s Championship cycle from 2024. The results are already showing, highlighted by their Gold Medal win at the 2023 African Games.
*A New Global Standing: Infrastructure and Relations*
The administrative prowess of ZC’s leadership is perhaps best illustrated by the aggressive infrastructure drive, a critical backbone for sustained development and global hosting ambitions.
*The Infrastructure Boom:* Instead of relying solely on existing, ageing venues, ZC embarked on a major facilities upgrade costing millions of dollars. The showpiece of this ambition is the Victoria Falls Multipurpose Cricket Ground. ZC is fully funding this new stadium—an estimated US$12 million investment, to be a co-host venue for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
Other key projects include:
* The construction of the *National Cricket Academy in Esigodini, Matabeleland*, designed to be a dedicated high-performance centre.
* New stadia development plans for regional centres like Gweru and Dangamvura.
* Major enhancements at established grounds, including the new indoor practice facility and gym at Harare Sports Club, indoor facilities at the five provincial centres, and the installation of floodlights at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
*Restoring International Bridges:* Mukuhlani and Makoni successfully navigated years of painstaking diplomatic negotiations, restoring relations with major cricketing nations. This included mending ties with the *England Cricket Board (ECB)* after years of friction. The result is a thriving relationship, with English county teams and clubs now confidently selecting Zimbabwe as their destination of choice for pre-season tours, cementing ZC’s reputation as a reliable and professional host.
*A Record-Setting Future Tours Program (FTP):* The improved standing has translated directly into better cricket. ZC has negotiated an incredibly robust FTP, which saw the country record one of its highest number of Test matches in a single calendar year in its history, providing the essential competitive rigour needed for national team success.
*The T20 World Cup: A Victory for Administration*
The latest triumph—qualifying for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, is not just a sporting victory; it is the ultimate validation of the Mukuhlani-Makoni administrative masterclass.
When they took over a financially unstable institution, the thought of consistent qualification was a distant dream, often hampered by players’ low morale due to payment issues. This leadership reversed the narrative. They ensured a stable, supportive, and professional environment where the focus could be purely on performance.
By clearing the debts, restoring player confidence, and building a consistent domestic feeder system, they provided the platform for the Chevrons to perform on the global stage, finally clinching their spot after the heartbreak of missing the previous edition.
Honourable Tavengwa Mukuhlani and Givemore Makoni have done more than just run a sporting organisation; they have engineered a complete overhaul. They are the undeniable architects who steered Zimbabwe Cricket from the edge of the abyss, navigating financial storms and structural decay, to finally bring the game back to its rightful glory. Their success serves as a blueprint for governance and sustainability in global sport.
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