FORMER Zimbabwe international cricketer Edward Rainsford yesterday rejected his appointment in the suspended Zimbabwe Cricket board announced last month saying his nomination and subsequent appointment was done is his absence and without his prior knowledge.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
ZC last month announced Rainsford was among the five new faces on the 13-member board elected during its disputed Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Victoria Falls which also saw Tavengwa Mukuhlani being re-elected as board chairman for another term.
ZC went ahead with the AGM despite a directive from the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) to suspend the processes, pending investigations over alleged electoral irregularities and allegations of misappropriation of funds.
The decision by the ZC leadership to go ahead with the polls resulted in SRC suspending the board along with acting managing director Givemore Makoni and replacing it with an interim administration led by former ZC chairman and chief executive Dave Ellman-Brown.
Rainsford, through his lawyers Samukange Hungwe Attorneys, yesterday dealt the suspended board another blow by exposing some of the irregularities surrounding the controversial AGM saying he never received any formal notification of his nomination.
“Our client advises us that the Annual General Meeting held on the 14th of June 2019 he was nominated as a board member/ director in terms of section 35 (4) of the Zimbabwe Cricket constitution. While the nomination was done in his absences, our client has not received any formal notification of his nomination and consequently has not accepted such nomination,” Rainsford’s attorneys said.
“Our instructions are that, Mr Edward Rainsford respectfully declines the nomination/possible appointment into the Zimbabwe Cricket structures as he is preoccupied with other cricket related commitments at the moment. In the circumstances, kindly note of our client’s wishes in relation to the aforementioned issue. We believe this should formalise our client’ position and should you wish to obtain any clarification please contact the writer. Our client wishes the best for Zimbabwe Cricket and fully supports the game and its development in the country,” reads the letter.
Rainsford’s decision to distance himself from the suspended board comes at a time the International Cricket Council (ICC) board is set to meet in London today to discuss the recent developments at the local cricket governing body.
After the meeting the ICC is expected to make a determination weather the action by the SRC does not amount to government interference in cricket affairs which is prohibited in terms of their
constitution.
