Zimbabwe target Test return in 2011

[shumbat]

I THINK ZIMBABWE'S TEST RETURN SHOULD LURE SEAN ERVINE & IRELAND TO COME BACK AND PLAY FOR ZIM

more players would return, than we think, guys like Doug Marrillier, if they return to fitness will be in with a shout, de Grandholme, James Cameron, many more can be lured back when things are stable, but the good thing is we are producing more players in the domestic scene.

[sloandog]

I THINK ZIMBABWE'S TEST RETURN SHOULD LURE SEAN ERVINE & IRELAND TO COME BACK AND PLAY FOR ZIM

more players would return, than we think, guys like Doug Marrillier, if they return to fitness will be in with a shout, de Grandholme, James Cameron, many more can be lured back when things are stable, but the good thing is we are producing more players in the domestic scene.

I strongly doubt that Cameron and De Grandholme especially will return to Zimbabwe. Colin, I think, was recently included in the New Zealand A squad, and Cameron looks to be enjoying county life.
But ya, our new domestic structure is beginning to produce some young stars. I can't be bothered going through them all because we know who they are, but I think guys like Muzarabini, Pete Moor, Dyaln Higgins and Nathan Waller (Perhaps even Stephen Marrilliar) should be given more opportunitys. The future has some exciting times waiting for Zimbabwean Cricket, that I'm sure of !

[morgieb]

Mariller actually is back in Zimbabwe, I think.

[morgieb]

I THINK ZIMBABWE'S TEST RETURN SHOULD LURE SEAN ERVINE & IRELAND TO COME BACK AND PLAY FOR ZIM

Should and would are different things.

It'll be interesting times this off-season, I think.

My test side...

1. Sibanda
2. Masadazka
3. Taylor
4. Williams
5. S Ervine
6. Taibu
7. Chigburmuba (sp?)
8. Blignaut (assuming his bowling returns)
9. Price
10. Cremer
11. Ireland/Jarvis/Chatra

[sloandog]

I THINK ZIMBABWE'S TEST RETURN SHOULD LURE SEAN ERVINE & IRELAND TO COME BACK AND PLAY FOR ZIM

Should and would are different things.

It'll be interesting times this off-season, I think.

My test side...

1. Sibanda
2. Masadazka
3. Taylor
4. Williams
5. S Ervine
6. Taibu
7. Chigburmuba (sp?)
8. Blignaut (assuming his bowling returns)
9. Price
10. Cremer
11. Ireland/Jarvis/Chatra

In the test arena I wouldn't play two spinners unless the wickets call for it. I'd take Cremer out and but another fast bowler in

[morgieb]

Hmm....you guys do have 4 seamers (Ervine, Ireland/etc., Blignaut, Chig) though and Price and Cremer are in the top 4 bowlers in the country. Can't see what test cricket has to do with them not getting picked.

[sloandog]

Hmm....you guys do have 4 seamers (Ervine, Ireland/etc., Blignaut, Chig) though and Price and Cremer are in the top 4 bowlers in the country. Can't see what test cricket has to do with them not getting picked.

Unless the wicket is trurning, two spinners will not be played. If it were between Cremer and Price, I think Price would just get in, on the basis that he's played more test cricket than Cremer. I very rarely see sides playing two spinners regardless of the pitch and whether conditions. (Perhaps Bangladesh, though they don't have a wide pool of fast bowlers to choose from).
When we return to the test arena next year I think we should play 1 genuine spinner in either Price or Cremer, and 4 fast bowlers. Blignaut being one of them, Kyle Jarvis, Christopher Mpofu and Shingrai Mazakadza. If Sean Ervine returns we probably won't need 4 fast bowlers. That's when Cremer can come back in

[shumbat]

One spinner is ideal bringing in one more as the conditions allow. Our batsmen such as Williams, Lamb, Taylor can spin a few overs if need be. Utseya, Price and Cremer would notgive us some reasonable runs. Most of our bowlers cannot bat as compared to Oz, England where the tail can give the team a lot of runs. I bet we got to take a step at a time.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Hmm....you guys do have 4 seamers (Ervine, Ireland/etc., Blignaut, Chig) though and Price and Cremer are in the top 4 bowlers in the country. Can't see what test cricket has to do with them not getting picked.

I agree with morgieb.

Zimbabwe's strength is spin bowling, and on our Test return we have to play to our strengths. Price is the first spinner picked, obviously. Cremer must be selected as well, he has the ability to turn the ball a mile and he is a regular wicket taker. Despite his recent form, I think he really has something to offer with the bat. It seems one moment he can play a glorious cut or cover drive and the next he'll be clean bowled playing all around the ball. He just needs to work on his batting a bit more.

Utseya is not a wicket taker, he is a restricting bowler. Unfortunately I don't think he has a place in the Test side for this reason alone.

Chigumbura, despite being woeful with the ball of late, is an important cog in the Zimbabwe machinery. We need his bowling to put up a good show. Even if he doesn't play as a frontline bowler, he needs to at least bowl as many overs as a Shane Watson type and pick up some wickets.

Between Price, Cremer and Chigumbura a fair few overs are covered (twin spin will take up a lot of overs). But we also need a strike bowler. At the moment it's hard to know who to turn to. Kyle Jarvis is very inexperienced. I'm not sure that throwing him to the wolves in a Test match is the greatest idea, but if he is the best option then he is the best option. Chris Mpofu, I must say he has looked better in the past few weeks than I have ever seen him - more confident, more pace, more aggression (bouncers). He still has a tendency to bowl wide and leak runs though. Shingirai Masakadza, based on the very little I saw of him in the West Indies game - he's not ready for Tests. Ed Rainsford - maybe? I can't think of anything which would rule him out of a place in the Test team, but equally I can't think of any attributes which makes him scream for selection.

If Blignaut (I still can't believe he has returned, what he can bring to the table should never be underestimated) can continue to build his fitness up and bowl a touch quicker then that would allow us to play him as a fast bowler. If he can get to that stage, I'm thinking a team like this would look good:

1. Masakadza
2. Taylor
3. Williams
4. Taibu
5. Coventry
6. Lamb
7. Chigumbura
8. Blignaut
9. Cremer
10. Price
11. Mpofu

That number 6 position could go to a number of batsmen... if we wanted someone with Test experience maybe Sibanda, if Craig Ervine puts in some blinders before next year it could be him. Or if another star player (like his brother Sean) returned, he could slot in. Lamb has a lot of county experience, can bowl useful offspin and I believe has a temperament better suited to a First Class match than limited-overs... so for those reasons he can stay in this preliminary line-up

[sloandog]

Once again BRM your views are spot on, though I don't exactly agree with what you've said about the pace.
Kyle Jarvis, we all know, will be a talent and a genuine star for the future. So why not give him some experience at test level ?? It could be the making of him, we never know.

Ed Rainsford is a tricky one isn't it...
He's a genuine new ball threat who swings the ball at good pace. But he just lacks something called control. In test cricket we can't afford easy runs being leaked on a consistent basis, so a question mark hangs over his head as to whether or not he's play.

Shingrai Mazakadza I think would do okay in test cricket, provided that Streak gives him some pointers. He's certainly got some pace which always helps the cause