Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has announced the resignation of their senior men's head coach, Dave Houghton, with immediate effect. While Houghton has decided to step down from his coaching role, the board intends to retain his involvement and is considering assigning him a new position within the organization.
During the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka in January, an interim technical team will be appointed to oversee the Zimbabwean team. ZC will announce the composition of the interim team in due course.
Zimbabwe's failure to qualify for the T20 World Cup, including losses to Namibia and Uganda, combined with defeats against Ireland in the ODI and T20I series, contributed to Houghton's decision. In his resignation letter, he expressed feeling detached from the changeroom after 18 months as head coach and believed that a fresh perspective was needed to guide the team forward.
Although stepping away from coaching the national team, Houghton expressed his continued dedication to Zimbabwe cricket. He highlighted the vast talent pool and emphasized the importance of developing players who can excel at the international level. Houghton expressed his desire to contribute to other areas within Zimbabwe cricket.
ZC Chairman Mr Tavengwa Mukuhlani acknowledged Houghton's contributions and referred to him as a legend of the game. While recent disappointments marred the past few months, Mukuhlani emphasized the groundwork laid by Houghton to establish long-term success. The board expressed gratitude for Houghton's tireless efforts and highlighted their anticipation of collaborating with him in a new capacity to improve the team's on-field performance.
Additionally, the board announced the formation of a three-member committee to address the failures in World Cup qualification and review ZC's cricket affairs structure. The committee will be led by Lloyd Mhishi and includes Godfrey Nyadongo and Blessing Ngondo. They have been tasked with submitting their findings within three weeks.