Masakadza resigns as Zimbabwe cricket director after World Cup failure
HARARE — Hamilton Masakadza has stepped down as Zimbabwe Cricket’s director of cricket after the team failed to qualify for the 2024 Twenty20 World Cup, he said on Thursday.
Masakadza, a former national captain who took up the role in 2019, said he was disappointed by Zimbabwe’s shock defeat to Uganda in the qualifiers last month, which left them as the only full member nation to miss out on the global event.
“This decision has come about after careful consideration of the successes and failures of our cricket and my responsibilities,” he said in a statement.
“As much as there has been a lot of progress in my tenure, the fact remains that we are the only full member nation not participating at the next T20 World Cup. This was indeed one of the lowest points of my career and I take full responsibility as director of cricket.”
Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Givemore Makoni praised Masakadza for his contributions to the sport, both as a player and an administrator.
“Hamilton’s status as a cricket legend is not in doubt and we are indebted to him for his immense contributions to the sport, on and off the field,” Makoni said.
“He gave his all trying to ensure ZC has the foundations in place to identify, develop and prepare the next generation of players. As he leaves his current role, we take great satisfaction in knowing that Zimbabwe teams and our cricket in general have made significant progress under his watch.”
Masakadza oversaw Zimbabwe’s qualification for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where they reached the Super 12 stage, and the introduction of several new domestic tournaments.
He also helped organise the hosting of the 2022 T20 World Cup Qualifier and the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
He said he was still committed to Zimbabwe cricket and hoped to remain involved in the preparations for the 2026 Under-19 World Cup and the 2027 Cricket World Cup, which the country will co-host.
“This decision was a very difficult one to make and I remain fully committed to Zimbabwe cricket and would very much be interested in serving in a different capacity as the organisation looks forward to hosting the Men’s Under-19 World Cup in 2026 and the Men’s 50-over World Cup in 2027,” he said.
