For a handful of overs Zimbabwe were on top. With Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza at the crease, they looked on course for a trip to England. The stands were full, the crowd in full cry. Harare Sports Club was at capacity, they had closed the gate at 2.30pm. When Raza put Rohan Musafa on the roof with six overs to go, it looked almost inevitable. Twenty minutes later the United Arab Emirates, who barely scraped into the tournament, shut the door on Zimbabwe’s World Cup hopes.
They had just needed a win against the second-lowest ranked side at the tournament. They might have taken that at the start of the competition, but then perhaps they hadn’t expected to be facing a new ball travelling at almost 145kph, delivered by an opening bowler who was bowling with a taped tennis ball five years ago. Mohammed Naveed had ripped out Hamilton Masakadza and Solomon Mire early in Zimbabwe’s doomed chase, and would put an end to their resurgence at the death.
It was a brutal reintroduction to World Cup qualification tournaments, from which Zimbabwe have been exempt since being awarded Full Membership. They last played in a Qualifier in 1990. They won it, unbeaten, as they had the previous two editions. Things have changed outside the full member circle since then however, and as Zimbabwean cricket has languished in maladministration and self-imposed semi-isolation, the pack has caught up to them.
As the afternoon wore on into evening, the clouds split to reveal a striking setting sun behind a limply hanging Zimbabwe flag, presenting an easy visual metaphor for any passing photographer that cared to take advantage. The crowd kept chanting till the end, but didn’t stay long after.
The stands were empty the next day as Ireland and Afghanistan squabbled over the spoils, but for half a stand of children presumably grateful for the day off school. It is hard to know when they will be filled again. “They come because it’s Zimbabwe, and because it’s free.” said former international David Mutendera, watching stoically on the sidelines. “Why would they come to watch this?” As Mohammad Shahzad sauntered down the track to slap Andy McBrine onto the roof, setting Afghanistan on track for an easy win, he remarked, “That arrogance, that’s what we need. We are too nice in Zimbabwe.”
