Zimbabwe coach Dave Houghton has resigned with immediate effect, citing a breakdown in his relationship with players as the reason for his departure. Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup, losing to Namibia and Uganda.

After Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024 via the Africa Region Qualifier, Zimbabwe Cricket formed a three-member committee chaired by Lloyd Mhishi to investigate the causes of the World Cup qualification failure.

Zimbabwe finished third on the points table after losing to Uganda and Namibia in the Qualifier, whereas a top-two finish was required to qualify for the global tournament.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced the move on Wednesday, but Houghton, regarded as one of the country’s most accomplished former players, will remain with the organisation in an unspecified role. In a letter to the ZC board, Houghton stated that after 18 months in charge, he had “lost the changeroom” and that the team needed a “new voice” to move forward.

“While the past few months have been disappointing as we failed to qualify for both the 50-over World Cup and the T20 World Cup, they should not obscure all the work he (Houghton) has done over the past year to rebuild the foundations for long-term success,” Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the chairman of the board, said in a statement.

“Dave leaves the team with our sincerest thanks for his tireless efforts and we are looking forward to working with him in a different role as we seek to change our on-field fortunes.”

An interim technical team will be named soon for Zimbabwe’s January white-ball tour to Sri Lanka. The ZC board also appointed a three-member committee led by Lloyd Mhishi to investigate the World Cup qualification failures and review ZC’s cricket affairs structure. The committee is expected to report in three weeks.