Cricket, Culture and Politics in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe 1890-2026

This book provides an understanding of Zimbabwe through cricket. It blends both political and cultural histories with a chronology of the game. Chapters explore cricket’s enduring role over 136 years, a period comprising five forms of government. The British South Africa Company occupied a region where cricket contests rotated with battlefield hostilities. Self-government was granted after the 1922 referendum but white Rhodesians tied their cricket to South Africa, with African and Asian associations emerging later to form parallel structures. In 1953, the Central African Federation promised a policy of partnership but it failed to materialise. Federation was dissolved in 1963, paving the way for Rhodesia’s UDI and a sports boycott. After a decade of civil war, Zimbabwe was granted independence in 1980. Test status was achieved but politicisation and corruption marred progress. Financial restructuring brought stability while a cultural shift transformed cricket into a national passion.