By YVONNE SAKALA –
THE Zambia Cricket Union (ZCU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Cricket Council (ICC)-Africa Cricket Association (ACA) regional office worth US$8,000 (about K50,000) for the introduction of the sport in two more provinces.
ZCU president Reuben Chama said during the annual general meeting held in Kabwe at the weekend that the MoU signed early this year was aimed at taking the sport to all parts of the country with Eastern and Southern provinces being the latest inclusions.
Chama said the ICC-ACA regional office has already released funds for the first phase of the project which was expected to take off before the end of May with Eastern Province being the first.
He said the ZCU would then send a detailed report to the ICC-ACA regional office and in receipt the regional mother body would be expected to release half of the money to complete the project.
“We have signed an MOU with the ICC-ACA regional office for the introduction of cricket in Eastern and Southern provinces and the first half of the money has been sent to us and we are starting with Eastern Province and that should be before end of May.
“We are also calling on the business community to come on board and help us with this crusade because the amount we have been given is not enough. Our aim is to ensure the sport is played across the country and not only along the line of rail,” Chama said.
He said with the introduction of the sport in the Eastern and Southern provinces after a successful launch in the North-Western and Northern provinces, the game would now be actively played in six provinces unlike in the past where the sport was only played on the Copperbelt and midlands.
And ZCU life member Haroon Ghumra commended the union for the transparent manner it was running the affairs of the sport.
Ghumra expressed happiness that the union was enjoying a good relationship with the international mother body and encouraged the executive to concentrate on popularising the sport in schools as that was where the future champions were found.
“We have seen the growth of the sport in the recent past and it is encouraging to see cricket being taken to other provinces apart from Copperbelt and Lusaka.
“We look forward to a lot of activities this year and also increase schools participation in the sport because that is where the future stars are found,” said Ghumra, who is also Sports Council of Zambia (SCZ) board member.