How does a Zimbabwean cricketer compare with players from other countries in terms of payment and recognition?
Right down at the bottom, without a doubt. Right down at the bottom. Certainly we shouldn’t be paid anywhere near like the guys at the top because we are not as good as them. But importantly these guys are professional cricketers and making a living by playing the game, paying for their mortgages and feeding their children. Looking to save their future, they have to be looked after properly. But to make them more comfortable, these distractions have to stop immediately. Ultimately it’ll increase the Zimbabwean cricket structure generally. It’ll also encourage more young cricketers to take up the game as a good, paying profession. They can make a lucrative career out of it. Do you see cricket as a binding factor in the prevailing situation in Zimbabwe? Without a doubt. Definitely. We as players have an excellent relationship with the blacks, whites and the Asians. And there aren’t any racial problems. In fact it’s nice having a diverse set of characters and people in the change room. We
