How Zimbabwe returned from abyss to World Cup resurgence

For those of a certain generation, the idea of the Zimbabwe cricket team succeeding on a global stage is entirely plausible.

Reaching the second stage of a World Cup, as they have in this T20 tournament, once seemed a possible and even expected achievement.

The late 1990s saw Test series wins against India and Pakistan.

At the 1999 World Cup, a side clad in a loud red uniform finished an admirable fifth in the Super Six stage, narrowly missing out on the semi-finals.

With stars like future England coach Andy Flower, and bowlers Heath Streak and Henry Olonga, they proved a relatively small country could provide some of the world's finest players.

The future looked bright. But then - wilderness.

This is how Zimbabwe battled back to impress again on the biggest stage.

At the 2003 World Cup - hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya - Flower and Olonga wore black armbands in response to the 'death of democracy' under the country's leader Robert Mugabe. Both men subsequently fled the country.

A year later, 14 senior players resigned in protest at political interference and selection quotas. By 2006, massive defeats and off-field struggles led to Zimbabwe voluntarily suspending its own Test status.

For 15 years, the side languished with only occasional moments to remind dejected supporters of previous successes. A return to Test cricket in 2011 saw a win over Bangladesh, but national governing body Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) accumulated debts reportedly as high as $27m (£20m at current conversion rate).

Speaking to the BBC in 2023, former all-rounder Sean Williams reflected on the darker days.

"There were more office members employed than players," he said. "It was a nightmare.

"People knew how much money Zimbabwe Cricket was getting paid but nothing was happening. It looked like it was dying at that time - if not dead."

The nadir arguably came in 2019, when the International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended ZC and barred them from qualifying for the 2021 T20 World Cup.

However, under the stewardship of chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, finances were tackled to become almost debt-free, the board operating on a shoestring budget to right a ship that had not so much been listing as sitting at the bottom of Lake Kariba.

Huge sacrifices were made by staff, careful planning required to give a once-proud side the chance of recovery.

Former captain Tatenda Taibu told BBC Sport hope was never lost.

He said: "Even when things seem to be going southward, there is a certain statement that's often said in Zimbabwe: 'I will make a plan'.

"There have been a lot of ups and downs from the 2000s, but anyone who knows Zimbabweans, you know Zimbabwe will bounce back."

As well as the work behind the scenes, the cricket approach became unusually old-school, with a focus on developing players in the red-ball game.

"When the new board took over, they made a conscious decision to say, 'Let's go back and play Tests - this is the only way our team's going to improve,'" ZC managing director Givemore Makoni told the BBC last year.

"And since we started, we've seen some huge progress in terms of how the team is performing."

The appointment of Justin Sammons as head coach in 2024 was pivotal to a regular shift towards on-field success.

Sammons focused on fitness and embraced a culture of ensuring opportunities for young players, like opener Brian Bennett and fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani.

Both have starred in this T20 World Cup, helping the Chevrons finish top of Group B thanks to stunning wins over former champions Australia and Sri Lanka.

"The players must get the credit as they take to the field and execute all the various plans formulated," said former fast bowler and commentator Pommie Mbangwa.

"Management and coaching too should be recognised for their consistency, but there is never any doubt with regard to how hard all involved need to work in order to give themselves a chance of doing well."

Perhaps the most significant on-field figure has been all-rounder and T20 captain Sikandar Raza.

After moving from Pakistan to join his family in Zimbabwe in 2002, Raza put aside the disappointment of an eye condition ruining his hopes of becoming a fighter pilot and sought a career as a cricketer.

Three player-of-the-match performances at the 2022 T20 World Cup, smashing 133 off 43 deliveries as his side hit a T20 international world record 344-4 against Gambia in 2024 and smacking a 54-ball hundred - Zimbabwe's fastest one-day international century - against the Netherlands in 2023 are just a few examples of his exploits.

"This is probably the first time in a long time where the fans have travelled to support," said Raza.

"That is because of the way we have played cricket over the last year. We have given them hope that this team is onto something and we can achieve something if we all are together.

"And that's just not the cricketers, or the changing room, or the technical staff. It is our fans. It is our media. It is the citizens of our country."

Now approaching his 40th birthday, Raza continues to lead from the front.

When sub-par performances meant a qualifying tournament in Kenya was required to reach this T20 World Cup, Raza's message was clear.

"I sat down with the squad and said either we feel sorry for ourselves and be ashamed or actually understand the reality," he said. "It's because of us we are in this mess and it's only us who can get out of it."

And he knows how proud those at home will be.

"Let's just be together and actually enjoy this because it's a huge achievement for the country," he added.

For those that saw the dark days, like Taibu, a moment like reaching the Super 8 stage must be treasured.

"In World Cups, Zimbabwe will always be an underdog. I'm very proud," he said.

Mbangwa added: "It is wonderful to see the team do well on the world stage. It breeds positivity and gives so many people joy."

And the future is bright, with a core of talented players, strong leadership and the prospect of an ICC event on home soil.

The men's 50-over World Cup in 2027 will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, with matches played at a new, 10,000-seat stadium near Victoria Falls.

As to that vision of success in years to come, Mbangwa wants the country to cherish the now.

"What's important is to enjoy the present and keep doing what they're doing," he said.

After coming through Group B unbeaten - a win over Oman and a washout against Ireland alongside those remarkables victories against Australia and Sri Lanka - Zimbabwe suffered a crushing 107-run defeat by West Indies in their Super 8 Group 1 opener.

They next face defending champions and co-hosts India - smarting from defeat by South Africa and in need of victory - in Chennai on Thursday.

But while the Chevrons are not favourites to progress to the semi-finals, nothing can be ruled out.

As Taibu says: "Possibilities? They are always there where Zimbabwe is concerned."