India’s Under-19s may have walked away with the ICC Mens U19 World Cup trophy after brushing aside England for a record sixth title, but the tournament left another headline in its wake, and it belongs to Zimbabwe.
For a country that spent years synonymous with boardroom chaos, unpaid salaries and bills and cricketing drift, Zimbabwe has quietly pulled off something that matters just as much as runs and wickets: it hosted a major ICC event smoothly, professionally and without drama. Harare and Bulawayo did the heavy lifting, and they did it well: proof, if any was needed, that Zimbabwe Cricket is now building for something much bigger in 2027.
It wasn’t long ago that Zimbabwe Cricket looked finished as a credible organisation. The board was weighed down by legacy problems and a mountain of inherited debt, around US$27 million, by its own account, with governance issues that routinely spilled into public view.
Now, the picture is strikingly different. Much of that turnaround has been driven by the leadership pairing at the top: Managing Director Givemore Makoni, the operational fixer confirmed in late December 2020, and board chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the steady political hand who has kept the ship upright through turbulent waters.
This hasn’t been a flashy revolution. It has been the slow, unglamorous work of paying down liabilities, tightening the books, and rebuilding credibility with the ICC and commercial partners. In sport, reputations are easy to lose and brutally hard to regain. Zimbabwe Cricket have begun to do the latter.
The Under-19 World Cup didn’t come out of nowhere. Zimbabwe hosted the 2023 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, a high-pressure event that tested everything from security and scheduling to broadcast operations and training logistics. Then came the 2026 T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier held in October 2025, delivered with similar calm efficiency.
That is the point: Zimbabwe are no longer being trusted with tournaments on sentiment. They are being trusted because they are delivering.
And with the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup coming to southern Africa, co-hosted with South Africa and Namibia, Zimbabwe’s role is no longer a nice add-on. It is an expectation, and the Under-19 World Cup has served as a timely rehearsal.
Zimbabwe Cricket have also been keen to attach legacy to this hosting push. The headline project is the proposed Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium in Victoria Falls, an ambitious, controversial in places, but undeniably a statement of intent. It’s about taking international cricket beyond the usual corridors and using a world-famous destination to widen Zimbabwe’s sporting footprint.
Alongside that, there has been quieter but equally important work: upgrading existing venues, improving facilities, and building an ecosystem that can cope with the demands of global cricket.
Hosting is only half the story. The other half is development, and Zimbabwe Cricket insist the two are linked. Makoni has been vocal about expanding the National Premier League model into age-group structures, aiming to create a more consistent pipeline of competitive cricket for teenagers and, ultimately, future internationals.
It fits the broader theme Zimbabwe have leaned into throughout this Under-19 World Cup: stop chasing quick fixes, start building systems.
The 2027 test is coming, but Zimbabwe look ready for it. Let’s be clear: the 2027 Men’s World Cup will be a different beast. Bigger crowds, bigger scrutiny, bigger commercial pressure, and global broadcast standards that expose every flaw.
But Zimbabwe go into it with something they haven’t had for a long time: credibility. A track record of successfully staging ICC events. A leadership team that has dragged the organisation away from the brink. And a plan, both on infrastructure and development that suggests Zimbabwe Cricket are thinking beyond the next headline.
The Under-19 World Cup may have crowned India. It also delivered a quieter verdict closer to home: Zimbabwe Cricket are no longer merely surviving. They are functioning, building, and ready to be judged on merit on the biggest stage.
