Zimbabwe plan cricket arena at Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is set to be the location of the country's third Test cricket ground. If local authority approval is obtained, which Zimbabwe Cricket expects, it will be within sight of the mile long Falls with its 100 metres deep chasm straddling the Zambezi River.

Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is set to be the location of the country's third Test cricket ground. If local authority approval is obtained, which Zimbabwe Cricket expects, it will be within sight of the mile long Falls with its 100 metres deep chasm straddling the Zambezi River. © AFP

Some 4,000 players and spectators would feel the spray. Matches will also be played under floodlights at the venue, which could take three years to complete.
Construction work is expected to begin early next year. At present the area is raw African bush.
Zimbabwe has two Test grounds. The main one is at Harare Sports Club in the capital. The other is in the second city Bulawayo -- Queens Sports Club -- which was established more than 100 years ago.
The move to build another ground right up against one of the great tourist destinations of the world follows close upon the International Cricket Council (ICC) approval last April for a return by Zimbabwe to Test cricket after a six years absence from the top level.
The Zimbabweans have been scheduled to host Bangladesh in August for one Test and a series of five ODI's, followed almost immediately by Pakistan, whose playing programme is not yet arranged. Then they will travel to New Zealand for a Christmas period series.
Victoria Falls, considered one of the natural wonders of the world, is a growing tourist destination, not least by cricket mad South Africans and visitors from England.
Alistair Campbell, a former Zimbabwe Test captain, now a senior official with Zimbabwe Cricket, said the ground arena and clubhouse grandstand could be completed in three years.
He said: "Zimbabwe is progressing now in every way and tourism is on the up. Victoria Falls could be an alternative venue to Dubai. There is also easy accessibility from Zambia across the river. We recently had 9000 people at a 20-20 tournament in Harare and we never saw anywhere near that when I was playing Tests, so it is an indication of cricket progress here."
Zimbabwe Cricket chief executive Ossias Bvute said: "Following the soccer World Cup in South Africa the eyes of the world are on Africa as a sports destination. Victoria Falls is a wonderful location. It has a year round sunny climate and the potential for big crowds.
Zimbabwe was forced to withdraw from Test cricket in 1995 when captain Heath Streak was sacked for complaining about selection policy and the entire professional squad went on strike in his support.
A second team was put up against New Zealand, Sri Lanka and India, resulting in huge defeats, forcing chairman Peter Chingoka to withdraw from Test cricket, though Zimbabwe's status as full ICC member was retained.
A return to Tests was agreed after a meeting with the ICC in Harare last April that followed a triangular tournament between India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Architects in Harare are working on design details and these will go to the Victoria Falls council in a few weeks.
AFP