Zimbabwe call off their five-match T20I series against Afghanistan due to COVID-19 surge

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on international cricket, with many bilateral series leading to cancellation or postponement. Zimbabwe Cricket, in the wake of the pandemic, officially announced on Saturday that they’ve called off their five-match T20I home series against Afghanistan.

The Zimbabwe side was slated to lock horns with Afghanistan in August. With a surge in coronavirus cases in the country, Zimbabwe had no choice but to call off the series. At present, the government have necessitated stringent regulations to curb the spread of novel coronavirus across the country.

Earlier, Zimbabwe Cricket had applied to the federal government for a waiver to host the series in a strictly controlled environment. However, with coronavirus outbreak witnessing significant growth across the country, the Sports and Recreation Commission decided that Zimbabwe was not ready yet to host a series.

We understand the Government’s health concerns: Zimbabwe Cricket

“We were keen to see the imminent and safe return of cricket, but we understand the Government’s health concerns and accept that cancelling the proposed tour is sensible and in the best interest of players, match officials, volunteers, service providers, fans and the wider community,” Zimbabwe Cricket Acting Managing Director Givemore Makoni said.

Earlier, Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani had stated that the board had recovered after enduring the worst years in the country’s cricket history. The board was able to almost pay off its legacy debts amounting to USD 27 million.

This was supposed to be a busy year for Zimbabwe Cricket after they opted for a quiet 2019. However, with COVID-19 into the picture, the uncertainty prevails. India were also originally due to visit in August for three ODIs but the tour had to suffer amid COVID-19 debacle.

“We’ve been walking through (a financial plan) with the ICC,” Mukuhlani had told Cricbuzz. “We are on controlled funding and that has progressed very well. The restructuring of the organisation has taken place, so we think that other than this Covid, we should be in a good space with our finances and that should allow more programmes to take place,” he had added.