Blame politics not me: Mangongo

By Eddie Chikamhi in Kampala, Uganda

Ousted national cricket coach Stephen Mangongo has opened up on the board’s decision to demote him saying underhand politics was at play in reaching the decision.

Mangongo, who is credited for developing most of the players in the current team, has since been redeployed to take up a new role with the national Under-19 side.

To some it was the right step forward especially against the backdrop of the humiliation in Bangladesh, where the team appeared to hit its lowest point in international cricket.

Zimbabwe performed dismally. They lost the Tests 3-0 and then succumbed to a 5-0 whitewash in the One Day International series.

Mangongo admitted the performance in Bangladesh was unacceptable and was man enough to take responsibility.

As a result ZC had enough ammunition when they announced during the mid-week that the coach had been demoted and would be replaced shortly by another competent coach.

Mangongo had only been five months into the job and this included the famous win over Australia which ended a 31-year wait in the ODIs.

It was a historic feat that got the nation believing again. Everyone who played a part wanted credit for that achievement.

But when the lowest point came in Bangladesh where the team failed to win a single game, triggering an outcry back home, Mangongo found himself frozen, alone in his corner.

There is no collective acceptance of responsibility from everyone involved.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Mangongo queried the circumstances surrounding his dismissal from the hot seat, arguing that his was work in progress.

While accepting responsibility for the Bangladesh debacle, the coach, however, hinted that there could be more shadowy politics at play as he believes he was not given ample time to get his act together.

Mangongo said he was caught unawares by the board’s decision, especially with the World Cup around the corner.

“I knew that there were always murmurs about me not having played Test cricket,” he said.

“But, hold on, how many successful coaches do we have, if we look at sport in general, who have played at the highest level? It’s about doing your job well, are you qualified enough, have people got confidence in you, have you been given enough time to find your feet and progress?

“If those questions are asked cleanly and fairly then I don’t have a problem. But, yes, there were always murmurs about my position and I kept reiterating and emphasising that I am here on merit. I have got the qualifications. I have the experience and what else do you want from a person?

“But I wish the Zimbabwe team well as they go on to prepare for the World Cup. There are fantastic players there. I believe there is good talent which can make the supporters happy in the future and I wish them well.”

Mangongo was appointed as substantive head coach in July this year, having assumed the role earlier in an acting capacity.

He led the team on two assignments against South Africa and Bangladesh after being confirmed as the substantive coach.

The coach, who is credited for the development of cricket in the high density areas said he will not walk away from the game.

The association took the drastic decision, just eight weeks away from the ICC World Cup 2015, which puts into focus the country’s preparedness for the coming tournament.

Some are arguing that the demotion of Mangongo was a way of diverting the supporters’ attention from the system failure at the high offices in cricket.

While other teams that Zimbabwe will play had busy international schedules in the last months, the local team is still to begin camp.

They are only looking forward to a date with Associate nation Canada early January and then hope to play as much franchise cricket as possible before departure to New Zealand, as part of the preparations.

This is clearly a recipe for disaster but the nation still hopes. The Sunday Mail