ICC suspends Zinbabwe Cricket, cricketers express sadness on social media

Ex-captain Brendan Taylor, who is considered as one of the top batsmen to play the game for the African side, tweeted: "@ICCIt's heartbreaking to hear your verdict and suspend cricket in Zimbabwe. The@ZimbabweSrchas no government back round yet our Chairman is an MP? Hundreds of honest people,players, support staff,ground staff totally devoted to ZC out of a job,just like that."

Sikandar Raza, who has played 12 Tests, 97 ODIs and 32 T20Is for the country, also shared an emotional note on his Twitter handle and said, " How one decision has made a team , strangersHow one decision has made so many people unemployed
How one decision effect so many familiesHow one decision has ended so many careersCertainly not how I wanted to say goodbye to international cricket. @ICC."

ICC Decision:

Zimbabwe Cricket has been suspended with immediate effect. The ICC Board unanimously decided that Zimbabwe Cricket, an ICC Full Member, is in breach of Article 2.4 (c) and (d) of the ICC Constitution which imposes an obligation on Members to provide a process for free and democratic elections and to ensure that there is no government interference in its governance and / or administration for cricket respectively.

As a consequence of suspension, ICC funding to Zimbabwe Cricket will be frozen and representative teams from Zimbabwe will not be allowed to participate in any ICC events. The ICC has directed that the elected Zimbabwe Cricket Board be reinstated to office within three months, and progress in this respect will be considered again at the October Board meeting.

The ICC Board heard from both the Sports and Recreation Committee representatives of the Zimbabwe Government and Zimbabwe Cricket before making their decision.

ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar said: “We do not take the decision to suspend a Member lightly, but we must keep our sport free from political interference. What has happened in Zimbabwe is a serious breach of the ICC Constitution and we cannot allow it to continue unchecked.

“The ICC wants cricket to continue in Zimbabwe in accordance with the ICC Constitution.”

The Croatia Cricket Federation and the Zambia Cricket Union have both also been suspended for continuing non-compliance with ICC Membership criteria.

The Moroccan Royal Cricket Federation have continued to remain non-compliant with ICC Membership Criteria 2.2(b)(ii), 2.2(b)(iii), 2.2(b)(iv) and 2.2(e)(i) and as such has been expelled from Membership of the ICC.

R Ashwin tweets:

Indian spinner R AShwin tweeted: "Extremely heart breaking news for all Zim cricketers and their fans, reading the tweets of
@SRazaB24
just shows the agony of cricketers and how their life’s have been taken away from them. I pray that the lovely cricket nation returns to its glory asap! #ZimbabweCricket."