According to a statement from the cricket board, Hamilton Masakadza has stepped down from his position as Zimbabwe’s director of cricket. He cited his inability to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 as the primary motivation for his resignation.
Masakadza assumed the position shortly after quitting cricket in all its forms in October 2019. The board added that he will still be active in Zimbabwe cricket in various ways.
In his letter of resignation, Masakadza stated, “This decision has come about after careful consideration of the successes and failures of our cricket and my responsibilities.” Despite the fact that we have made a lot of progress during my leadership, we are still the only Full Member country that will not be attending the upcoming T20 World Cup following our devastating defeat to Uganda.
In fact, this was one of my lowest periods in my career, and as Director of Cricket, I accept full responsibility for it. I am still totally dedicated to Zimbabwe Cricket and would be very interested in serving in a new role as the organisation prepares to host the Men’s Under-19 World Cup in 2026 and the Men’s 50-over World Cup in 2027. This was a very tough choice to make.”
Hamilton’s place as a cricket icon is undeniable, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his enormous contributions to the game, both on and off the pitch’, ZC Managing Director Givemore Makoni stated.
“He gave it all he had to make sure ZC had the infrastructure in place to recognise, nurture, and develop the stars of tomorrow after deciding to end his playing career.
“As he steps down from his current position, we as an institution take great pride in knowing that under his leadership, Zimbabwe teams and our cricket in general have advanced significantly, even if certain pivotal outcomes did not go our way. I believe his knowledge and experience will continue to be beneficial to the game.”
Zimbabwe advanced to the Super 12s and earned a spot in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia under Masakadza’s four-year leadership. Additionally, he played a key role in ZC establishing additional competitions, including the Women’s T20 Cup and the Fifty50 Challenge for women, as well as the National Premier League and the Zim Afro T10 league for men.
