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HARARE: A sunny spring day greeted Zimbabwe's return to test cricket after six years away on Thursday in what the International Cricket Council described as an “enormous step.”
Zimbabwe's players responded on the pitch. By the end of day one against Bangladesh, the home side had reached 264-2, capping a positive day for the sport in Zimbabwe after some turbulent years.
ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat was among a sparse crowd of about 300 people at Harare Sports Club and said he did “everything in my power” to facilitate Zimbabwe's test return.
“I am really thrilled to be here,” Lorgat told The Associated Press.
Cricket fan Gerald Maraire, who was accompanied at the ground by his 4-year-old son Anotida, was equally happy.
“It is a perfect day for cricket and I'm excited that Zimbabwe is back in the test series,” he said.
Zimbabwe withdrew from test cricket after a series of bitter disputes between players and administrators over alleged political interference and new selection rules that set a quota of black players in teams representing the country in the traditionally white-dominated sport.
Several white players, including Andy Flower, the current coach of England, quit the team. Flower was also censured by the sport's administrators for wearing a black armband at a World Cup match that he said was to protest about “the death of democracy” in his homeland under President Robert Mugabe.
There were also allegations of financial corruption in the sport, but new sponsors have been found for recent friendly matches and renovations of cricket facilities have been completed.
“Zimbabwe cricket had its own domestic challenges to overcome,” Lorgat said. “This is an enormous step for Zimbabwe. It is a positive day.”
Lorgat also said he hoped Zimbabwe will continue to develop the sport domestically to create a “robust first-class structure.”
“There is still a long way to go before Zimbabwe can compete consistently with the very best test nations in the world, but this is a good start,” he said.
“Test cricket ... it is what defines greatness and is recognized by the players as being the benchmark by which they will be graded and remembered.” The buildup to Zimbabwe's return was overshadowed by criticism from former captain Tatenda Taibu, who said nothing had changed since 2005 and compared the sport in Zimbabwe to a newly-painted house with rotten foundations.
Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka said the test against Bangladesh was only the first step in a developing process.
“We are hoping to be very competitive and grow with each match,” he told the AP. “We are looking to maintaining a solid position in test cricket. The players are psyched up and its showing by the way they are playing.”
He said he hoped for a higher turnout of fans in the future.
“There should be a turnaround if we have good performances in the next games,” Chingoka said.
Bangladesh is playing one test and five one-day internationals in Zimbabwe and future test matches are being scheduled against Pakistan and New Zealand.
