Zambia national cricket team explained

Zambia
Association:Zambia Cricket Union
Icc Status:Associate member
Icc Member Year:2003–2021
Icc Region:Africa
First Match: Northern Rhodesia v. MCC
(Livingstone; 11 December 1930)
Asofdate:3 May 2019

The Zambia national cricket team is the team that represents the Republic of Zambia in international cricket. It is administered by the Zambia Cricket Union, which became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2003.[1] The team made its international debut in 1930, by Patel Sodhi, during the country's colonial period as Northern Rhodesia.[2]

Regular matches against other East African sides began in the 1950s, and Zambia contributed players to the combined East African cricket team that was an ICC member in its own right for much of the remainder of the 20th century (later transformed into the East and Central Africa Cricket Conference).

From the late 1990s onward, Zambia has been a regular participant in ICC Africa tournaments, although it has generally played in the lower divisions. The team has been promoted into the World Cricket League structure only once, placing fourth at the 2010 Division Eight tournament.[3]

In April 2018, the ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members, starting from 1 January 2019.[4] The ICC terminated Zambia's membership due to "continued non-compliance" to amend multiple breaches of the ICC's Membership Criteria in 2021 ICC AGM.

History

Beginnings

Then Northern Rhodesia, cricket was introduced into Zambia from neighbouring Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia), in the early 1900s. With the number of the British settlers relatively low compared to Southern Rhodesia, cricket was slow to develop.[5]

Despite the slow rate of development, the MCC travelled to Livingstone in December 1930 during their tour of South Africa,[6] easily beating Northern Rhodesia by 9 wickets in their first international. By the late 1930s, cricket in Northern Rhodesia was being integrated with cricket in Southern Rhodesia, though it was rare to see players from the North playing for Rhodesia.

First formal organisation

After World War II, cricket was more formally organised with the formation of the Northern Rhodesia Cricket Union, and in 1948 an annual series of matches was begun against Southern Rhodesia. This lasted only until 1954 as the Southern Rhodesia side were much too strong to make any sort of decent contest. The North won only once, in 1952. One match was drawn and the other five all went the way of the South.

With the formation of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in 1954, cricket was fully integrated with Southern Rhodesia but investment was concentrated around Harare and Bulawayo, meaning that cricket began to decline in the country. Nevertheless, a team was still organised to play Australia in October 1957[7] to start off the Australians tour of South Africa. Australia scored 302/6 declared in their innings and Richie Benaud took 9/16 as the home team were dismissed for 85 in their first innings, but they managed to hold out for a draw in the two-day match.[8]

No further matches were played by Northern Rhodesia, but Rhodesia did play two first-class matches at Ek Park, Kitwe in 1962, one against an International XI and one against a Commonwealth XI.[9]

Zambia starts play

With Zambia gaining independence in 1964, cricket began a resurgence. Whereas previously representative cricket had been confined to the white population due to Rhodesian cricket's links with apartheid South Africa, this separation meant the non-white population was now allowed to take part.

The Zambian Cricket Union was formed almost immediately and multi-racial cricket began. Zambia took part in East African regional tournaments with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 1968, playing their first match as Zambia against Kenya in Nairobi in September 1968.[10] For instance, the 1975 Quadrangular was played in Kampala, sadly with rain spoiling much of the schedule, the scorecard from Zambia v Kenya 1975[11] and the Zambian team photograph from that tour to Uganda.[12]

The 1970s were the most successful period for Zambian cricket, as the country became a favoured destination for English sides. Gloucestershire toured in 1971, Glamorgan in 1972,[13] the MCC in 1974 and Warwickshire in 1977.[14]

However, in the early 1980s the government began to invest less money in sport and with athletics and soccer being of more interest, cricket was a lower priority. A combined Minor Counties side toured in 1982, but this was the last match played by the national side until the mid-1990s, though some Zambian players played as part of the East African cricket team and East and Central African cricket team.

Modern era

By the mid-1990s, cricket was confined almost entirely to Lusaka, but the national side returned to play in the African Cricket Association Championships in 1994.[15] Zambia took part in the Africa Cup in 2002, beating Namibia and Tanzania[16] and the Zambian Cricket Union became an associate member of the ICC in 2003, enabling the national side to take part in ICC tournaments for the first time.

Zambia hosted the African Cricket Association Championship in 2004, the tournament being part of the qualification process for the 2005 ICC Trophy in Ireland. Zambia finished third behind Namibia and Uganda, qualifying them for the repêchage tournament.[17] This tournament took place in Kuala Lumpur in February 2005 and Zambia finished eighth and last after losing to Italy in the seventh place play-off.[18]

Zambia finished fourth in the World Cricket League Africa Region Division Two tournament in 2006, beating only Nigeria[19] and did better in the same tournament in 2008 when they finished third behind Botswana and Nigeria.[20] In 2010, they went better once again, winning the tournament. This then granted them entry into the 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Eight.

Tournament history

ICC World Cricket League

4th place

ICC Trophy

World Cricket League Africa Region

Records

One-day

Below is a record of international matches played in the one-day format by Zambia between 2004 and 2017.[21]

!Opponent!M!W!L!T!NR
11000
41300
10100
22000
10100
10100
32100
11000
10100
20200
11000
32100
10100
42200
10100
11000
30300
10100
10100
Total33132000

Team and individual records

Notable players

The following players played for Northern Rhodesia/Zambia and also played representative cricket including first-class, List A cricket or minor counties:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Home of CricketArchive.
  2. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/6/6108/Other_Matches.html Other matches played by Northern Rhodesia
  3. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/1/1855/Other_Matches.html Other matches played by Zambia
  4. Web site: All T20 matches between ICC members to get international status. International Cricket Council. 26 April 2018. 1 September 2018.
  5. Encyclopedia of World Cricket by Roy Morgan, SportsBooks Publishing, 2007
  6. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/ZAMBIA/1930-31_ZAMBIA_Marylebone_Cricket_Club_in_South_Africa_1930-31.html MCC in South Africa, 1930/31, Northern Rhodesia leg
  7. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/ZAMBIA/1957-58_ZAMBIA_Australia_in_South_Africa_1957-58.html Australia in South Africa, 1957/58, Northern Rhodesia leg
  8. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/137/137512.html Scorecard
  9. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Grounds/92/1811_f.html First-class matches played on Ek Park, Kitwe
  10. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/KENYA/1968_KENYA_East_African_Quadrangular_Tournament_1968.html 1968 East African Quadrangular Tournament
  11. Web site: The Home of CricketArchive.
  12. Web site: The Home of CricketArchive.
  13. Hignell. Andrew. Glamorgan CCC tour of Zambia 1972. The Cricket Statistician. 1996. 93. 22–26 . 13 February 2017.
  14. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/ZAMBIA/1977-78_ZAMBIA_Warwickshire_in_Zambia_1977-78.html Warwickshire in Zambia 1977/78
  15. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/MLW/1994_MLW_African_Cricket_Association_Championships_1994.html 1994 African Cricket Association Championships
  16. http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2002/TOURNAMENTS/AFRICACUP/about.shtml 2002 Africa Cup
  17. Web site: 2005 ICC Trophy Africa qualifying . https://web.archive.org/web/20110524025516/http://www.cricketeurope4.net/ICCT2005/DATABASE/QUALIFYING/africa.shtml . 24 May 2011 . at tournament official website
  18. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/102/102371.html Scorecard
  19. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Events/Tables/ICC_World_Cricket_League_Africa_Region_Division_Two_2006.html Points table for 2006 WCL Africa Region Division Two
  20. http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2008/TOURNAMENTS/AFRICADIV2/about.shtml 2008 Africa Division 2 Championship
  21. Web site: The Home of CricketArchive.
  22. http://www.zambiacricket.org/keith-w-arnold/ Keith W Arnold
  23. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/2/2878/2878.html Derek Bruorton
  24. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/13/13309/13309.html Aubrey Dennis
  25. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/205/205460/205460.html Chris English
  26. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/5/5124/5124.html Roger Henderson
  27. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/5/5127/5127.html Wally Hitzeroth
  28. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/5/5133/5133.html Bernard Horton
  29. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/5/5155/5155.html Michael Lee
  30. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/1/1470/1470.html Hamish McLeod
  31. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/1/1471/1471.html Parbhu Nana
  32. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/26/26663/26663.html Majid Pandor
  33. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/160/160238/160238.html Yusuf Patel
  34. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/26/26665/26665.html CD Patel
  35. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/41/41066/41066.html Bimal Soni
  36. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/33/33043/33043.html Peter Stimpson
  37. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/3/3289/3289.html Jackie Ward
  38. http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/1/1474/1474.html Yunus Badat