Zimbabwe sack captain Cremer, all coaches for missing World Cup berth

Zimbabwe head coach Heath Streak, batting coach Lance Klusener, bowling coach Douglas Hondo, fielding coach Walter Chawaguta, fitness coach Sean Bell and team analyst Stanley Chioza - all other coaching staff, including the Under-19 coach Stephen Mangongo are all set to lose their job on Friday.

In one of the strongest decisions ever, Zimbabwe Cricket decided to sack captain Graeme Cremer and their entire coaching staff for failing to take the side to 2019 World Cup in England. Brendan Taylor has been re-appointed as the leader of the side.

Resign or get sacked. Zimbabwe Cricket had given two simple but very difficult options to its entire coaching staff and the coaches is believed to have decided to stand their ground and hence were sacked by the cricket board.

According to ESPNCricinfo, Zimbabwe head coach Heath Streak, batting coach Lance Klusener, bowling coach Douglas Hondo, fielding coach Walter Chawaguta, fitness coach Sean Bell and team analyst Stanley Chioza - all other coaching staff, including the Under-19 coach Stephen Mangongo were all shown the door on Friday.

Convener of selectors Tatenda Taibu has also been stripped of his position.

While it is true that the decision is a direct consequence of Zimbabwe’s failure to seal World Cup qualification, it is not the sole reason. Zimbabwe’s cricket board is again going through an acute financial crisis and managing expenses of such a large support staff was getting increasingly difficult. All ZC staff were only paid 40% of their salaries in February

Only Zimbabwe head coach Heath Streak has an alternative, though not a full-time one. Streak is the bowling coach of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders and will join them ahead of the eleventh edition of IPL, set to begin from April 7.