ICC: 'No evidence of impropriety for self-gain'

By Torby Chimhashu

ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) will open up its books to a South African auditor after the International Cricket Council (ICC) said it had "falsified its accounts".

The ICC has tasked leading audit firm KPMG South Africa and its Zimbabwe subsidiary "to put the matter to rest once and for all" by conducting a fresh audit.

The combined audit would be presented to the ICC board in October at its meeting in Dubai.

At its meeting held at the Lords, London, last week, the ICC dismissed as inaccurate reports that the ZCC had "cooked" its books.

The ICC said in its resolutions: "To put the matter of queries of ZC accounts hitherto to rest once and for all, the ICC, through KPMG South Africa and Zimbabwe, would, for ICC’s account: check the accuracy and application of the documentation on the transaction which involved the three companies associated with former ZC Vice-Chairman Justice Ebrahim’s children, which companies had been mischievously reported as being bogus and verify the accuracy and integrity of the ZC accounts of May to December 2005.

"This was a short year, and deliberately so. While the 2004 year had ended in April, the 2005 one was short because ZC decided that, after it, its financial year would run from January to December."

It said the two teams from KPMG would do the audit for the year ending December 2006, and provide an opinion on the robustness and quality of the accounting systems.

"Suffice it to say that, from the foregoing, there is no evidence of impropriety for self-gain, contrary to rumours started by disaffected stakeholders which then led to the forensic audit," the ICC said in its report.

The supreme cricket body said the ZC had been caught up in a web where other forces were at hand in its trials and tibulations.

It said: "Furthermore, through all these trials and tribulations, it is clear that Zimbabwe’s cricket friends, supporters and assisting countries are South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"Up to recent times, it believed that it could count on the West Indies as friends, but it is clear now that there is some other force that has got to them and where they talk about safety and security issues in Zimbabwe, ZC did demonstrate that Harare is a much safer and secure destination than Jamaica."

Meanwhile, the ZC's drive towars returning to Test Cricket status starts this month when India A tour Zimbabwe from July 22.

The ZC is also in talks with Kenya, to take part in a triangular tournament including India A in Kenya, after the Asian side’s visit to Zimbabwe.

At its London meeting, the ICC said Zimbabwe was not ready to resume Test Cricket.

It, however, noted that when Zimbabwe suspended its participation then, it was after evaluating the performances of the Zimbabwe senior team and A sides.

The ICC has put a road map that will gauge Zimbabwe's commitment to the ICC's Future Tours programme.

Zimbabwe were due to face the West Indies in November but will now have to go through 12 three or four-day matches against A sides of Test-playing playing nations.

The team's strength would be measured from the performance against India A, Rest of South Africa, Sri Lanka A and others.

It is expected that by February 2008, Zimbabwe would be ready to resume playing test cricket.
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