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Sikandar Raza breaks the record and is now the fastest Zimbabwean to reach 100 in an ODI and he did it in just 54 deliveries

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Zimbabwe's national players have fired a shot across the bows of Zimbabwe Cricket, demanding clarity on when they will be paid their money and threatening to put the upcoming triangular series with Australia and Pakistan in "serious jeopardy". In the first sign of collective action since a nascent players' union disintegrated in 2015, the nationally-contracted players have banded together to take on ZC over unpaid salaries, match fees and bonuses, choosing a prominent local lawyer, Gerald Mlotshwa, to spearhead their campaign.
In a letter addressed to ZC and copied to both the Ministry of Sport and the ICC, Mlotshwa gave ZC until noon on Wednesday (May 16) to provide a written undertaking as to when the outstanding money will be paid. Zimbabwe's players are owed match fees dating back to the tour of Sri Lanka last July, and have not received their salary for the past two months. For some players, this equates to more than USD 60,000.
"There has been no lawful explanation, or justification, whatsoever as to why these amounts are outstanding, and more importantly, when exactly the said amounts, many months in arrears, will be paid," reads a part of the letter, which Cricbuzz has seen. "The stance adopted by ZC is unprofessional, unconscionable and indicative of serious underlying governance and financial management shortcomings impacting on the solvency and going-concern status of Zimbabwe Cricket.
"Each of our clients demand written undertaking, on or before 12 noon, Wednesday 16th May 2018, from Zimbabwe Cricket as to precisely when all amounts due and payable to them shall be paid in full. Failure to do so will, apart from our clients pursuing such legal remedies as may be available to them, place into serious jeopardy the upcoming Triangular Series in July 2018."
The letter, which was written on Wednesday (May 9) and received by ZC the following morning, goes on to say that the players' next actions will depend on ZC's response, and warns against attempts to intimidate the players.
ZC's ability to pay the outstanding salaries received a blow two weeks ago when their request for an advance from the ICC fell on deaf ears. It is thought that the next significant inflow of cash may only come with their next ICC disbursement in July.
The plight of Zimbabwe's players is just the latest cause to be taken up by Mlotshwa, who is also representing former coach Heath Streak, batting coach Lance Klusener and fitness coach Sean Bell in the wake of their dismissal by ZC. On top of that, Mlotshwa is handling a USD 1m libel suit laid against ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani by Streak over comments made in the media.
But Mlotshwa's most telling representation may be the case he is making on behalf of cricket stakeholders - some of whom are attached to the Zimbabwe Cricket Family group - highlighting areas in which ZC are alleged to have broken their own constitution. The lack of necessary qualifications among ZC board members is just one among a number of legal issues to have been raised.
That case matured on Tuesday when Zimbabwe's sports minister, Kazembe Kazembe, called for the Sports and Recreation Commission to carry out "an urgent financial audit of the finances and general corporate governance of Zimbabwe Cricket".
"We asked the SRC to get to the bottom of the issues that have been raised, issues to do with the performance, the firing of the technical team and other related issues like the debt that everyone is talking about, the USD 19 million debt," Kazembe told ZBC, the government broadcaster.
"We would want to find out how that debt came about and why ZC finds itself in this situation, obviously with a view to finding lasting solutions. We are perturbed as the government and we have tasked the SRC to institute a commission of inquiry and also to ensure that there is a forensic audit carried out in the interest of the nation."

Pant’s knock for Delhi Daredevils, against the Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League match, is the highest T20 score by an Indian, ahead of Murali Vijay’s 127, made in IPL 2010.
The youngster’s knock, which included 15 fours and seven sixes, made for a remarkable 68.4% of Delhi’s total of 187/5. The other batsmen contributed all of 56 runs off 57 balls.
Unfortunately for Pant, he ended up on the losing side. Shikhar Dhawan (92*) and Williamson (83*) channelled all their experience to chase down the target with nine wickets and seven balls in hand.
Speaking after a “harsh” loss, Pant said, “I don't know if it's my best knock but till now it's one of my best. I just try to see the ball and play according to it. Today I took my time and played out well actually.”
The youngster got to his half-century in 36 balls, but needed just 20 more to get to his century. The 56-ball effort was still some way off his fastest – a 32-ball hundred, the second-quickest in all T20 cricket, in a domestic game in January at the same ground. The fastest remains Chris Gayle’s effort for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India, off 30 balls in IPL 2013.
Against some of the best T20 bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan, Pant brought out disdainful sweeps, paddles, back flips and one-handed sixes.
“He played shots all over. He was quite innovative – reverse sweep, boundaries over point. He was in good flow and consistently maintained a great strike rate,” said an appreciative Dhawan. “It’s nice to see a youngster so confident.”
“The bowlers executed plans well, but he forced scoring shots off good balls as well,” added Hyderabad’s Sandeep Sharma. “Our plan was to bowl wide to him. But he played the reverse slap well today. Those kinds of shots don’t always come off, but it was his day.”

'I want to let bowlers know who’s in charge’ – Chris Gayle

Big-hitting Windies opener insists he has nothing to prove as he brings up 21st T20 hundred.
Chris Gayle has sent out another warning to opponents world over that it isn’t time to write him off yet.
The Windies opener brought up his 21st Twenty20 hundred on Thursday 19 April, making an unbeaten 104 off 63 balls in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match for his franchise Kings XI Punjab against Kane Williamson’s Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Gayle smashed 11 sixes and a single four against an attack that featured some of the best T20 bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan.
That made it two back-to-back Player-of-the-Match performances for him in his two appearances so far in the IPL. And it comes soon after his table-topping showing in the Bangladesh Premier League late last year, where he struck two centuries and had a remarkable strike-rate of 176.36.
He still has plenty to do this IPL, but with numbers like that behind him, he will head into his next international assignment, the Windies’ T20I hurricane relief match against an ICC World XI at Lord’s on May 31, high on confidence.
He went unsold in the first round of the IPL auction in January, and spent the opening games of the season on the bench, but Gayle said he didn't have anything to prove.
"I’m not here to prove anything. I’ve done it all,” insisted Gayle after the match, even as he asked players and coaches around the world to “put some respect on the name”.
Chris Gayle

Yes! twitter.com/virendersehwag…
10:47 PM - Apr 19, 2018
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“A lot of people might say Chris has a lot to prove, [since] I didn’t get selected, didn’t get picked up earlier in the auction. But I can say Virender Sehwag (KXIP mentor) has saved IPL by picking me.”
His latest century was all about letting bowlers know who’s in charge, Gayle added. He was particularly punishing of Rashid, whose figures of 1/55 were his worst in the format. Gayle struck him for four sixes in a single over.
“[Rashid] is a key bowler. He’s been bowling phenomenally in this IPL and in his career. But I just wanted to put him under a bit of pressure. Just let him know that the Universe Boss is here,” he said. "It’s one of those things: Let bowlers know who’s in charge.”
As many as 8,376 of his 11,235 career T20 runs are from boundaries. But on Thursday in Mohali, Gayle played a more “calculated” innings, uncharacteristically running hard for the singles and twos.
“Yeah, I did some running today. It’s a big outfield, I can’t hit every ball for six!” laughed the 38-year-old. “Time waits for no one. You’ve got to run sometimes, you can’t walk all your life. So I’m really happy that everything was calculated well.”

The ICC World T20 Africa Qualifier A is set to begin in Nigeria.
Pathway to ICC World T20, Australia 2020 begins here for Africa
Teams arrived in Lagos on Thursday, tournament kicks off on Saturday
Top two teams go through to regional qualifier in 2019
As the next ICC World T20 event draws nearer, the pathway for Africa to that showpiece International Cricket Council event begins in earnest on Nigerian soil, with the start of the ICC World T20 Africa Qualifier A in Lagos, from 14-21 April.
The festive Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval will play host to Sierra Leone, Ghana, The Gambia and hosts Nigeria over the next week, with each team playing six matches. The visiting squads arrived in Lagos with plenty of optimism on Thursday.
Patricia C. Kambarami, the ICC Development Manager for Africa, said ahead of the start of the tournament,
“We are delighted that the qualifiers for the ICC World T20, 2020, are kicking off in Africa. The Nigerian Cricket Federation has worked extremely hard to putting the event on, and we wish the best of luck to all competing teams”
The action kicks off on Saturday, with the tournament opener pitting the hosts against Sierra Leone in the morning clash. The afternoons match will see Ghana and The Gambia lock horns. In Sunday’s action, The Gambia play Nigeria in the first game, before Sierra Leone and Ghana do battle in the afternoon.
There is a lot to play for over the next week, as the top two teams from the tournament will win passage to
the ICC World T20 Africa Qualifier to be held in 2019.
The fixtures and more information for the tournament can be accessed here.
Fixtures:
Saturday 14th April
9:30am Nigeria vs Sierra Leone
1:50pm Ghana vs The Gambia
Sunday 15th April
9:30am Gambia vs Nigeria
1:50pm Sierra Leone vs Ghana
Monday 16th April Reserve Day
Tuesday 17th April
9 30am Gambia vs Sierra Leone
1:50pm Nigeria vs Ghana
Wednesday 18th April
9:30am Gambia vs Ghana
1:50pm Sierra Leone vs Nigeria
Thursday 19th April Reserve Day
Friday 20th April
9:30am Ghana vs Sierra Leone
1:50pm Nigeria vs Gambia
Saturday 21st April
9:30am Sierra Leone vs Gambia
1:50pm Ghana vs Nigeria

Fixtures for T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe:
July 1: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan
July 2: Pakistan vs Australia
July 3: Australia vs Zimbabwe
July 4: Zimbabwe vs Pakistan
July 5: Pakistan vs Australia
July 6: Australia vs Zimbabwe
July 8: Final
Zimbabwe versus Pakistan ODI Series Schedule:
July 13, First ODI
July 16, Second ODI
July 18, Third ODI
July 20, Fourth ODI
July 22, Fifth ODI

Streak reinstated, fired again

ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) yesterday reinstated national cricket team coaches before firing them later in the day after serving them with letters of termination of contracts following their refusal to step down from their posts.

Head coach Heath Streak and batting coach Lance Klusener were served with the letters through the law firm representing them, G.N Mlotshwa and Company Legal Practitioners.
The letters were dispatched late in the afternoon yesterday but before the legal firm representing ZC, Mhishi Nkomo Legal Practice, had written to the coaches lawyers advising them that the cricket administration had withdrawn the decision to summarily dismiss the coaches.
ZC had been condemned for the manner in which they had dismissed the coaches with the initial communication of the firing of the entire technical team having been done through Streak.
ZC demanded that the coaches step down following the team’s failure to qualify for the International Cricket Council World Cup finals after a defeat to the United Araba Emirates.
Part of the letter written by the ZC to the coaches’ representatives reads; “After extensive consultations with our client on the position of the law, our client has resolved to unreservedly retract all and any communication leading to the ultimatum to resign and the subsequent dismissals against your clients. For the avoidance of doubt Zimbabwe Cricket has withdrawn the decision to summarily dismiss your clients.”
The coaches were initially given an ultimatum to step down from their posts or risk getting fired through a letter written by ZC managing director, Faisal Hasnain, which was sent via WhatsApp.
Streak refused to resign saying that he together with his assistants and other members of the technical team were being treated unfairly.
The coaches wanted to have a chance to explain themselves, something that ZC was not willing to accommodate.
All national team coaches that include the Zimbabwe A technical team as well as the Under-19 team coaches were dimissised from their posts.
ZC board chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said that the process of recruiting new coaches had begun and the senior national team, which will play a triangular series with Australia and Pakistan during winter, will have a new technical team by month end.
“The process of recruiting new coaches has begun and I can safely say that we will have new coaches for the national team by end of April.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by Kane Williamson, did better in dealing with David Warner’s absence than Rajasthan Royals did without Steve Smith.
It was always going to be interesting to watch the first-leg face-off between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 Indian Premier League, as much because of the action as for the two men who are missing – Steve Smith and David Warner.
As it turned out, Hyderabad dealt with the absence of their first-choice captain much better than Rajasthan did, with Kane Williamson leading the Warner-less Hyderabad side to a comfortable nine-wicket win. Though Wriddhiman Saha, their replacement for Warner at the top of the order, didn’t do particularly well, scoring 5, it was one run more than Smith’s replacement in Rajasthan, D’Arcy Short, scored.
Apart from Short, Rajasthan fielded Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Ben Laughlin in their XI.
“The foreigners who played today, I think they are really good. D’Arcy Short did well in the Big Bash (League) and for Australia recently. Jos Buttler and Stokes we know how good they are, and Ben Laughlin is an experienced bowler in T20s,” pointed out Ajinkya Rahane, who took over as the captain after Smith – and Warner – were banned for 12 months for their role in the ball-tampering incident in the Cape Town Test against South Africa last month.
“Definitely Steve Smith is a quality player, but we are not thinking about him right now. It’s about how we can contribute. The players we have are quality players.”
With the ones who played, as well as Smith’s replacement Heinrich Klaasen, Jofra Archer, Zahir Khan and Dushmantha Chameera, Rajasthan must put together the right combination to bounce back from the opening loss and make sure Smith’s absence isn’t felt too much.
Hyderabad certainly didn’t feel Warner’s absence hugely, with Williamson leading well and Shikhar Dhawan slamming a 57-ball 77* from the top to facilitate the win after Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Billy Stanlake, Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan and Siddarth Kaul had done brilliantly to restrict the Royals to 125/9.
“Obviously Davey’s a huge part of this team, a fantastic performer, led this team superbly well. So there are some changes this year but it was nice to come out and do really well as a team,” said Williamson after the win.
It isn’t easy to replace a man who scored 848 and 641 runs in the last two seasons, and Williamson is clear that he isn’t even trying to do that.
“I don’t think anyone can replace Davey, he’s world class. His performances in certainly the last couple of years have probably been some of the best in the competition,” acknowledged Williamson. “So it is a big loss for us, that partnership at the top of the order (with Dhawan). But someone like Wriddhiman Saha to come into that opening role – we know he’s a fantastic player, so we look forward to those two put together some partnerships.
“Davey not here this time – a loss for us but at the same time it’s important that as a unit we stay tight and we work together as a team with the personnel that we have. Today we did well as a team and it’s important we build on that and move forward together."