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Zimbabwe-Getting better or not?

Timbo

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,270
News in this week that Streak and Blignaut are back, with Streak actually returning yesterday to play in the 3rd ODI vs. the Proteas. Blignaut will return this week in the test squad. This follows the returns of players such as Richard Simms and Gavin Ewing.

However, is it improving?

Streak, a world class player and skipper who has led a very understrength team with prowess for several years has been relegated to a teamember playing under the puppet captain Taibu. Worse, several key players-Notably Craig Wishart, Grant Flower and Ray Price-have decided not to return under any circumstances.

Their thrashing by the Proteas in the ODI's and their capitulation vs. Bangladesh recently is indicative of the turmoil that is happening in Zimbabwean cricket, the question is, what can be done to save Zimbabwean cricket?
 

sunny

Guest
Messages
4,414
What can be done to save Zimbabwean cricket? Simple- kill Mugabe and all his mates. When Andy Flower and Olonga left, that was the straw that broke the camels back, because you've got to remember that this was a very poor side even when Streak was captain in 2003, which is sad, because towards the end of the 90s they were starting to become a respectable side.
 

SirShire

First Grade
Messages
5,412
Getting rid of their entire board of selectors, and stamping out the racism that is involved in cricket in Zimbabwe.

Bringing back Streak wont heal the wounds that have been caused in this argument. It has just happened because the ZCU know that they need a player of a world class standard to somehow save face and get some wins under their belt, and obviously, Streak is that man.

Bringing him back wont change a great deal to the state of play in the ZCU IMHO.
 

knights04

Bench
Messages
3,569
I think Zimbabwe put up a good fight last night. SA was understrength and only Kemp saved them from defeat. With Streak there Zimbabwe now look half decent but Streak cannot do everything. Blignaut returning might ease the pressure but it still looks far from convincing.
 

Timbo

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,270
As was mentioned here earlier, toward the end of the 90's, the Zimbabwean test side looked something like this:

1-G.Whittal
2-G.Rennie
3-A.Campbell
4-G.Flower
5-M.Goodwin
6-A.Flower+
7-N.Johnson
8-P.Strang
9-H.Streak
10-H.Olonga
11-B.Strang

Now at this time there were people like Pommie Mbwanga, Adam Huckle, Brian Murphy, Craig Wishart, Andy Blignaut, etc. pushing for spots.

That side looks damn good. And the depth! The depth was better than some other established test nations! Then disaster struck and plunged them into the dark ages.

The events of the last 5 or so years, have set Zimbabwe back 25 years.
 

aphelion

Juniors
Messages
851
Whatever happened to Sean Ervine?

Last I heard, he moved to WA and was never seen again.

Why hasn't he been asked back? Or was he and he declined? He had a huge amount of potential.
 

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
150,734
It will take them amny years to get over all this turmoil.

I cant seee them improving in the near future, perhaps hte next generation of players will help them improve.

There has been too much damage done to some of the current crop of good players.
 

Manu Vatuvei

Coach
Messages
16,676
bayrep said:
They would beat our Black caps at them moment. With 10 overs to spare.

Yeah. The fact we can't beat the best team in the world proves that we can't beat the worst :?
 

bayrep

Juniors
Messages
2,112
your catching on TH. You cant tell me with the performances that the kiwis have put up in the last 3 games have been of international standard ?? AUS kicked our arse by 100 runs in one game and 15 overs in another. Zim would have kicked our arse with those types of performances.
 

fish eel

Immortal
Messages
42,876
Losing a match with 15 overs to spare, that is the stuff that happens to the Bangers and Zimbots.

I'd say you'd nail 'em in a close one :D
 

NPK

Bench
Messages
4,670
The Zimbabweans are not doing well at the moment - 7/37 after 26 overs in the first test against South Africa.
 

NPK

Bench
Messages
4,670
Oh dear.
All sorts of records broken in that first day's play..

lowest score by Zimbabwe, lowest score against South Africa, fastest test fifty ever by Kallis, biggest lead by a team after 1 day's play :|
 

weasel

First Grade
Messages
5,872
South Africa 3/340 after 50 overs. That is absolutely ridiculous for test cricket. And to think the Proteas are only ranked sixth in the world right now. Imagine if they'd gone into bat first, they would have already reached 600.
 

sunny

Guest
Messages
4,414
i was keeping tabs on the live scorecard on cricinfo while all this unfolded and scarely believed it....absolutely pathetic stuff. Zimbabwe need to be taken out of test cricket right away.
 

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