Zimbabwe vs New Zealand | Test Series | First Test | 30 July 2025 - 03 August 2025

[TapsC2]

I've been watching the social media. Zimbabweans across the board willing the white boys to fail. Theyre loving it.

Expected after the likes of Wes and Madande suffer so much criticism. 4 man quota was broken too today. Watch them play BT as the 8th batsman in the next test and we get hammered. Just to prove a point.

The truth is the level we are playing now is just way too far ahead. The only guys we can shock besides Afghanistan and Ireland are the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Pakistan on a bad day. The guys we have played these last 4 months are the elite. I even saw someone asking why nobody is complaining about the West Indians being whitewashed in every format by Australia.

I guess as Secret said. We want to see some kind of competitiveness. That's actually not too much to ask for. The end of year stats will look bad but we only have ourselves to blame. Had we won those close tests against Afghanistan and Ireland the record would have been 2 test series wins, 1 series draw and 2 losses against the elites.

[CholeZimbo]

I've been watching the social media. Zimbabweans across the board willing the white boys to fail. Theyre loving it.

Expected after the likes of Wes and Madande suffer so much criticism. 4 man quota was broken too today. Watch them play BT as the 8th batsman in the next test and we get hammered. Just to prove a point.

The truth is the level we are playing now is just way too far ahead. The only guys we can shock besides Afghanistan and Ireland are the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Pakistan on a bad day. The guys we have played these last 4 months are the elite. I even saw someone asking why nobody is complaining about the West Indians being whitewashed in every format by Australia.

I guess as Secret said. We want to see some kind of competitiveness. That's actually not too much to ask for. The end of year stats will look bad but we only have ourselves to blame. Had we won those close tests against Afghanistan and Ireland the record would have been 2 test series wins, 1 series draw and 2 losses against the elites.

Well said. It’s going to be a vicious cycle of black vs white and no one wins at the end of the day. It’s a very toxic environment now and all players are going to be affected. Pity this forum is slowly succumbing to it also. Over the years this has been a platform of reason compared to the plastic fans on other media. We are getting into the abyss as well. Can’t really fault anyone, it was a ticking time bomb we’ve all saw for about 15 years now.

Unless someone speaks to the players directly I don’t think the racial bias is really a big thing with the players themselves as it is being put out to be out there. Until only recently in the last 1 or 2 seasons can we say there’s been a bunch of white players that have really been knocking on the door, which is very good. ZC have lured Jarvis, BT, Ballance and walked them straight into the team, so I really don’t fully understand this toxicity that is brewing.

We just don’t have very good players locally. At best like Taps said, we should be good enough to at least on the Pakistan, SL, Ire, Ban, Afg level.

The only real issue here is that ZC isn’t transparent with their team selection and we have been calling this out for years. The renewed interest in the game amongst the masses and the advent of social media is now just exposing ZC. Because apart from Wessly who can we ever say ZC persisted with over others?

My point is, let’s keep this forum objective. We all have been through a lot wanting this team to win

[CholeZimbo]

It’s just a bunch of ZC folk who are not organised in running the game. What they should have by now is a proper system, a proper path that is clear to players and fans. Almost like a model. It’s basically the same way the country is run and that incompetent culture and lack of accountability cascades downstream into the common man.

Be transparent, be accountable, you actually almost always succeed. If they were organised, our neighbours South Africa and Namibia would have been assets through exchanging ideas and resources for the better of everyone involved.

If you follow Namibian Cricket, they are really trying very hard to affiliate themselves with SA and in 5 to 10 years it will pay off. ZC bosses wouldn’t want this because it would expose their rot

[Googly]

My opinion is completely different.
We are member nation and we have to play ay this level and we have to improve...and we can!
This is how we started 40 years ago and believe me we are starting again, and from a weaker position. Today was almost our first baby step in 25 years

If the 20 mill was on offer and all we had to do was play Malawi, Somalia and Chad once a year with the Chigumbura academy these guys would jump at it. They dont know how to fix this, nor do they really want to because it involves good governance and some major changes. Little magic band aids won't do it

Not too many whites are cussing Madhevere and Co because less than 12 whites play it, about 100 watch it about 5 comment on social media. I genuinely think the figure is around 5 or 6. Somehow ZC think it's white sponsored. I swear on my life 99.99% are not interested. 90% dont even know Zim is playing today It's the God's honest truth. I played golf yesterday and not one person I spoke to the entire day knew there was a test match on. They quite simply dont give a fuck
If they were going to sponsor a media campaign the upside is it would cost about $20 a head for a real person and not a ghost account If ZC spent what they did on the paid Castle Corner they could get a 10 000 strong Wes fan base.

The cussing is coming from a section of the black community (and clearly not many) and some rabid racist Asians that keep losing money on Jackal007. The fact is they'll breathe a massive sigh of relief if the muzungus fail. It becomes a far more comfortable conversation.
If we're going to lose every time, surely the margin doesnt matter and we'd may as well go with the Elton and David Eleven? Is the experiment over before it started?

As usual the cussing is misdirected. People vent on Madhevere and Co because they keep getting opportunity after opportunity and not improving. Weve got better players, guys with a higher ceiling waiting. Theyre not going to set it alight out the blocks but they're going to need about a third of the time gifted to these guys. We play a shite standard of domestic and a bunch of associates and failed nations up north, they need a bit of slack to step up to the very best level in the world. Welch's improvement has been dramatic, but only a person with an eye can see it. His ceiling is high. Bennett is going to get a stern test, lets see how fast he learns, they know his Achilles and can bowl to it, but he's right up for it as well. Curran is a bit more brittle but he's ok so far..just.

Ervine played well. So many play and misses, but he hung in there and got a bum call. We need to spend money on DRS, it costs us dearly every single game!! We very rarely get a decision our way.
Its not easy to let so many play and misses not rattle you and get you pushing at it a bit, but he held his lines very well.

Until we have the option of Byrom, Muyeye, Cartwright, Ballance etc leave these 3 alone for now. The others are just a phone call away, by the way.
Better yet, put them in white ball as well and tell them to clear their heads and not worry about Madande breathing down their necks if they have 3 shit games. Madande would not have lasted 3 overs of that first session. Sorry but the truth needs to out. He hasn't got it at this level. Its not a personal attack, absolutely zero racial motivation, he is completely out of his depth. Well not strictly true, Madande is not the problem, ZC is.

Wes and Co get a hundred international caps and cant get it right but if the Rhodesians dont get it right out of the blocks they start toi-toing and shouting see we told you with 50% glee and 50% relief, so much so that they've wet their pants.
Its disgusting actually. Shameful. After 25 years they still dont quite grasp that this is what causes the mess.

Then the complete lack of knowledge is astounding. That was a brutal bowling attack first session. They missed nothing and the pitch was assisting. Curran, Welch and Williams dismissals were a bit soft. Welch and Ervine sucked up some serious pressure there and Tsiga batted well.

Those commentators claiming we were missing scoring opportunities just dont know enuf, which is presumably why their own careers were below ordinary. 200 commentary caps and zero improvement .
Those commentators should hold a batting clinic and show these shite batters of ours where they should have put away all those bad balls. Its all on film, show them where they could pommel that attack like their openers did ours! Better yet..a quick demo. Easy to replicate with a sidearm and a Duke and a spicy pitch.

You also cant put half a bandage on. Theyve been doing that for 30 years. Its mind numbing. Put the best team on the park!!!!!
We need Higgins as a seaming all-rounder or Evans. Evans will one day surprise us with the bat and he can bowl at this level. That one extra batter could have made a decent difference. If you don't have a seaming all-rounder at this level your shit is a mile deep. Youre not winning actually.

Nyamhuri may have the talent to bowl 2 good balls an over, so let him play club cricket until he can bowl 3, then let him play franchise until he can bowl 5. You could short cut his development by putting him in our world class HPC. He's also bowling a yard slower, dunno if that's intentional.
I'm being harsh but this is not the place to develop players, that ship should have sailed years ago. I've run that sentence thru AI and it cant detect any racism. It also says Evans is a better option and Higgins better again.

Mazarabani is a one man band atm.
Raza bowled well actually, but he, Wellie and Williams get chucked the ball by Ervine all the time by default. We need another captain urgently. NZ know Raza's 20 variations of the straight ball and they know he has no plan against hostile pace.

Weve had ample opportunity to see how Byo plays. You've got to get thru that first session relatively unscathed then it gets easier. Day 2, 3 and 4 have been easier than that first session, yet we win the toss and bat knowing they have a world class bowling attack and weve got 5 batters. Sorry but ffs.

Then we get a shot at them and bowl too short for 8 overs.
Ervine should have stopped the game and had a bowlers meeting after the first 3 overs and sorted it out. We should have heard him screaming from Harare. The dude doesnt know how to win.
I dont know what to say about TK. 2 steps forward and 2 back.

We're not miles behind if we put our best team out. It sure as hell looks like we are but we are not. Its a game of mm.

[Andy31]

And obviously less bad balls.

Have zero expectations for this series. This version of NZ is better than the proteas team we played. It's going to be tough

New Zealand have been building such a good side for some time.

I mean Williamson inst even playing in this series. Just seen his made back to back 100s in a county game.

[Andy31]

Now that it seems like a mater of time before Taylor plays.

I think for the sake of development we need to rotate the big 40's, No more than three in at once.

The biggest gap we have is the 25-32 years old of talent. We need some of these players getting more games in. So when we do play the Ireland and so again, we will be better equipped.

[Marshmallow]

Wicket on first ball of second day
Muzarabani

[ZIMDOGGY]

I still think we should simply do a straight swap Taylor for Tsiga and maybe Evans for Newman (although Newman is important in future).

If Taylor cannot keep for any reason, I suggest Raza becomes the dominant spinner at no.7 in place of Maseka with Tsiga at 8. Alot of pressure on the bowlers but Bennett and Willo can ease that maybe.

[Andy31]

I still think we should simply do a straight swap Taylor for Tsiga and maybe Evans for Newman (although Newman is important in future).

If Taylor cannot keep for any reason, I suggest Raza becomes the dominant spinner at no.7 in place of Maseka with Tsiga at 8. Alot of pressure on the bowlers but Bennett and Willo can ease that maybe.

Would have to agree with Raza

Our spinners average in the 40s anyway. May as well make it Raza

[Googly]

Raza is part of the selection panel, he can make it happen