Waller Gets A Raw Deal

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bayhaus
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Waller Gets A Raw Deal

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Dean du Plesis wrote:WALLER GETS A RAW DEAL.

By Dean du Plessis

Daily News

Zimbabwe's batting coach Andrew Waller was dealt a cruel blow on Thursday when he was informed that he had been sacked with immediate effect after Zimbabwe's embarrassing series loss to Afghanistan...

While bowling coach Douglas Hondo had been demoted to looking after the Zimbabwe A bowlers, Waller shockingly found himself jobless after it was decided that he was no longer fit to do the job...

The reality however is that Zimbabwe's batsmen improved under the guidance of Waller who has had a raw deal from the start...

He was appointed head coach in 2013 and had a good stint as coach which included a test win over Pakistan, as well as a few one day international wins before he was mysteriously replaced by Steven Mangongo...

Waller was then appointed as batting coach ahead of the World Cup which was held earlier this year, and the batsmen seemed to respond favorably as they consistently made totals of 250 plus in the World Cup as they desperately tried to chase down mamoth totals, thanks to the wayward performances by the bowlers...

Waller also played a crucial part in getting the players fit and showed no favoritism towards any of the players, and his no nonsense but fair attitude sune earned the respect of the majority of the team...

But when he was stripped of the head coach position, fitness and discipline fell away as well and several of the players have gained excess baggage in the weight department, while their fitness levels have taken a turn for the worse...

It will be interesting to see if current head coach Dav whatmore still enforces the fitness drills and if he instills any form of discipline whatsoever...

He may argue that his World Cup winning batsmen Aravinda de Silva Arjuna Ranatunga were overweight and unfit, but still won Sri Lanka the World Cup back in 1996, but that was 19 years ago and the game has changed considerably since his glory days...

So why exactly have Zimbabwe cricket decided to make Andrew Waller a scape goat when the majority of the batsmen have actually improved their averages under his coaching?

Zimbabwe's World Cup totals of 277 all out against South Africa, 286/6 against the UAE.

289 all out against the west Indies...

215 all out against Pakistan...

326 all out against Ireland...

287 all out against India...

The team then toured Pakistan in May and made 334/5 in the first ODI

268/7 in the second ODI while the third ODI was disrupted by rain...

The batsmen continued their good form when they made 251 against India in the first ODI at Harare sports club, and we conveniently brush aside the match winning total of 304/3 in the first ODI against New Zealand in the first ODI at Harare sports club, as well as another match winning total of 276/6 against Pakistan in September...

Yes, there were a few hickups along the way against Pakistan and Afghanistan, but no team ever gets it right all the time, especially when playing on pitches which suited the visiting team's spinners...

It is also interesting to note that a number of batsmen's averages improved, none more so then Chamu Chibhabha, who improved his career average from 25 runs to 38 runs in one day internationals, while Raza Butt Sean Williams and Craig Ervine also headed in the right direction with consistent scores which improved their averages under Waller's tenure as batting coach...

Although the series loss to Afghanistan was undoubtedly an all time low for Zimbabwe, it didn't warrant the sacking of the batting coach...

But did the Zimbabwe cricket board actually sit down and do their homework before reaching the decision? Or was it a shoot from the hip decision?

Either way, it was an appalling decision to dismiss someone who's work ethics were by far and away the best amongst all the coaching staff, and Zimbabwean fans will once again be left scratching their heads in utter confusion and bewilderment as Zimbabwe embark on a short tour of Bangladesh...

Dean du Plessis.
Emphaisis is mine.

Well Dean, come out atnd say outright what it is you are accusing Dav Whatmore for, is he the one to take the fall? Then say so. maybe dean has already picked sides here as he maybe aware that Dav not happy with the way Waller focuses too much time on his sone making this
"favoritism towards any of the player"
laughable. Unless he is ONLY referring to getting the players physically fit. Or he is saying like Mangongo took the fall as the coach after Bangladesh, then its the coach who should take the fall. Thats ZC Crinkum Crankum policies.

Despite this immediate sacking we will not hear from Waller.
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