Zimbabwe Cricket have reacted to the team's failure to qualify for the World Cup with a widespread purge, removing captain Graeme Cremer and giving Heath Streak and his coaching staff a deadline by which they must resign.
While Cremer was informed of the board's decision on Thursday (March 29), Streak and his backroom team have been given an ultimatum. In a brief email sent to Streak by Faisal Hasnain on Thursday evening, ZC's managing director wrote: “Further to our discussions, please give your technical staff (and yourself included) until 3 pm tomorrow to formally resign. After which time the technical team can consider themselves dismissed and relieved of their duties with immediate effect.”
While Streak's contract is only due to come to an end in October, the majority of his support staff have contracts expiring at the end of May. It is understood that the group, which includes batting coach Lance Klusener, bowling coach Douglas Hondo, fielding coach Walter Chawaguta, team analyst Stanley Chiwoza and strength and conditioning coach Sean Bell, have taken legal council in order to determine a response to ZC.
Should Streak be removed, he will be the fourth coach to be pushed out of ZC's revolving door since Alan Butcher left the post of his own accord in March 2013.
ZC's purge is set to be extended to other teams within its structures, with Under-19 coach Stephen Mangongo and A team coach Wayne James also expected to be removed from their roles. Zimbabwe's Under-19 side fell at the first hurdle during the World Cup in January, while the A team was thrashed 5-0 on a tour of the United Arab Emirates last year.
The wholesale clearout brings into question who ZC will find to fill the positions, given the general lack of qualified coaches in Zimbabwe. Streak, Klusener, Chawaguta, Bell and James all possess a level three certificate or better, but there are thought to be no more than three other coaches in the country holding an equal qualification. The prospect of luring a foreign coach of good standing will also be more challenging after Zimbabwe failed to qualify for next year's World Cup.
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