VETERAN Zimbabwe national cricket team seam bowler Tendai Chatara has set himself on a collision course with the national selectors and the game’s administration after an audio leaked where he was speaking to a colleague accusing his authorities of nepotism in national selection.
Chatara has, however, amplified concerns over selection, with the national team struggling for positive results.
Afghanistan won the T20 series 2-1, the One Day International series 2-0 after one of the matches was washed out, while the first Test was drawn before the tourists took the second, which Zimbabwe could have won.
The 33-year-old was left out of the squad that played Afghanistan in all three formats, but there were complaints in some quarters over his omission.
Chatara has been a mainstay in the national team for many years, but is slowly been sidelined to make way for younger players.
He was particularly incensed for being left out of the squad that played the two Test match series in Bulawayo, where Blessing Muzarabani was picked alongside young fast bowlers Newman Nyamhuri and Trevor Gwandu for the first Test.
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In the second, Gwandu was dropped to make way for the experienced Richard Ngarava.
Chatara alleged in the audio that Elton Chigumbura, who is one of the selectors, influenced the selection of Gwandu and Nyamhuri, who are products of his academy.
“One thing that is hurting us is that you know Elton has got an academy, where Nyamhuri and Trevor Gwandu have been developing,” he is heard in the audio as saying.
“So he picks players from his academy products so that he can prove his relevance and that he is doing something.”
Chatara said he was going to retire from playing next year and hoped to get a job within the system as a bowling coach.
The Mutare-born bowler was addressing Victor Nyauchi in the audio.
Nyauchi also missed out on action in the just ended tour.
“What we have to do is to get into the system and get jobs. As for me next year, I am retiring and then I will approach Givemore Makoni (ZC managing director) and ask him to keep terms of my contract as they are so that maybe I can go into coaching. I served the country for 15 years playing for the national team.”
Chatara alleged that convenor of selectors David Mutendera was not his own man and gets instructions over selection.
“David knows nothing, he didn’t play much cricket. He just gets instructions and does what he is told. These boys (Nyamhuri and Gwandu) are not yet ready for the national team.”
The leaked audio seems to have been recorded before the Afghanistan Tests as Chatara predicted in it that the Chevrons would be skittled in two or three days.