If I may...

[zimbos_05]

I have been a member of these forums for some time, but decided at one point to take a break. The way Zim cricket was headed, it was terribly heart breaking. Unfortunately, I love Zim too much, and I love Zim cricket even more. I have been sitting on the sidelines for some time and making my own observations and views, and I felt I might as well come back in to the fold now, as the timing seems right. You don't have to agree, I never expected that.

1. Returning players

Pariah argues that paying these players causes a rift. It only causes a rift because to pay these players, we need to find money. We find this money from people in the game who are being paid way more than they should. It means we have to cut salaries of families and friends and break deals from which they benefit. It does not matter. The players are the most important people in the product that is Zim cricket. I don't care if Chingoka or Bvute have to sell their houses to pay for this, that is what they must do. Without the product, Zim Cricket will never move forward.

2. Experience

I have heard this many times before. We need to be playing top teams more to improve. I don't buy it. We have players with over 100 games of international cricket still making the same mistakes. If you are making the same mistakes after such a long time in the game, that is not anything that experience will fix. You need to work harder on the training paddock. Actually listen to advice and actively improve your game. First start winning regularly against the lower teams, then you can hunt the big boys.

3. Black vs white

This will never go away. People like Pariah will always insist on this matter. It works to empower black players if we have the structure to support it. This is why South Africa produces the players. The heads did not steal the money. They have a functioning domestic league. They have an amazing grassroots programme. None of that exists in Zim. We have people (majority of whom are black) stealing money for themselves and their families and always playing the race card when things do not go their way. The most important thing is not the name on the back, but the badge on the front. The quicker you get that in to thick skull pariah, the quicker we can actually move forward with improving.

4. Average talent

Where do I even start with this. Sibanda is a prime example. pariah constantly calls for him in the team but has no stats or facts to back his calling. Averaging 25 for an opening batsman is horrible. It is pathetic and not international level. There is no reason for him to be called up. Stop picking players on name, and pick on form.

5. Coaching

What exactly does get coached? We go through coach after coach, and then make the same mistakes. Hamilton has way too high a back lift. Mire can't keep his head straight. All our batsmen play with cross bats. Cremer is running between the wickets without leading in with his bat. Our bowlers struggle to bowl to a line and length or figure out how to change things up when it's not working. Their is lack of foot movement on the crease. How many times do we hear the phrase, 'needless wicket'. These are basic things. It gets coached at school level and if international players are making these mistakes, and often, there is something seriously wrong. We also know spin is our weakness, yet constantly fail against it. All the most successful players in the game do the basics amazingly well. We on the other hand want to play reverse sweeps and try to hit a six to the nearest province instead of playing the actual game.

6. Captain

This is intertwined with the above. So often it seems we go in to a game with a set plan and if it does not work, we just keep doing it. We doctor the pitch for spin, but then fail to prepare for it. We load our attack with spinners and then constantly bowl them even if no success. There is no second thought or question. This is a common theme across all our matches regardless of pitch or match. In my honest opinion, Cremer is not a captain, but that is another topic.

7. Utseya and Mangongo

I name it after them because they are the prime examples. People who only looked out for themselves and never actually cared about the game. There is a gluttony of people like this in Zim cricket and they are cancerous. Mangongo I believe has had great success at a youth level, so keep him there, but he has to learn that in order to lead, you need to be a leader, not a dictator. You never demand respect, you earn it. You never berate a person, you teach them. Lead by example. Utseya lived off ZC favours and then played the race card when he was failing. Prime example of a whinger. Both of them unfortunately have a place in history in our win over Aus.

8. Mentality

After we beat Aus in the T20 in South in 2007, the interviewer asked Taylor, "Big party tonight?' His response, "We will celebrate a little bit, but have to stay focussed. We have a game against England tomorrow and the job is not done." Same question was asked to Hamilton. His response, "For sure. We are going to party long in to the night with those fans over there." I think the evidence is obvious in mentalities, and speaks volumes of how each of their careers have panned out. Look at every team around the world and you will see how far behind we are in mental strength, and approach to the game.

9. The teams

Mire is not a test player. Waller is finished. We need to start picking teams that are suited to the format. When your strike bowlers are not taking wickets, you need to start reassessing the situation. We can't be picking the same 15 players and expecting results to change. We need to start being serious about different players for different formats. We are so far behind all the other teams in this, it is laughable.

We were once world beaters, but then pride and greed got in the way of national success. For anyone to say otherwise is deluded. Zim Cricket has been demolished so badly that to still have a team is quite an achievement. It is not impossible for Zim Cricket to be where it should, but we need to start having people who are serious about the game in charge. I could think of a 6 man board from this forum that would do a much better job running every aspect of ZC and being highly successful. We do not need so many board members, and cars for every one of them. We do not need to run ZC like the dictatorship that is ZANU. People actually love Zimbabwe and it has nothing to do with their skin colour, but everyone else who insists on making it so, you are the problem with the country. Not the white farmers or the europeans, but you. The people who only care about themselves and no one else.

I apologise for the long post. I let passion and heart dictate my fingers as they typed. Here is hopefully to times that were once amazing in Zim Cricket.

[TapsC]

agree with this post especially in terms of mentality and captains. I would just like to point out that Alistair Campbell is not black but he was involved in some financial problems. not trying to start a race issue. just pointing out it's not 100% limited to black people and not all black people are corrupt.

It's just sad a lot of guys who actually run the game don't have a passion for it and it's just another job for them. hopefully this will change

[Black Mamba]

One win against second string Aussies made them legend . Great Success at youth level Beating Namibia, Kenya youth team is a great achievement !!!!

[Googly]

Haven’t you got toilets to clean?

[zimstarr]

Haven’t you got toilets to clean?

Hahaha

[pariah]

I apologise for the long post. I let passion and heart dictate my fingers as they typed. Here is hopefully to times that were once amazing in Zim Cricket.

You could have just sent a PM.

I would just like to point out that Alistair Campbell is not black

Neither is Dirk Viljoen. Nor Mark Vermeulen who single-handedly destroyed a foundation for great future black cricketers.

just pointing out it's not 100% limited to black people and not all black people are corrupt.

When Bvute joined ZC it was already in serious trouble. None here will say why because those who sabotaged it were not black. Corporate power which bullied and humiliated ZC. It's a pity most guys here don't know the history, and never will because the media is selective.

[eugene]

Who put ZC in serious trouble before Bvute showed up? Chingoka? Dave Ellman-Brown?

[Zero76]

Bvute has done more harm to Zimbabwe cricket than any other single individual past or present.

[zimbos_05]

When Bvute joined ZC it was already in serious trouble. None here will say why because those who sabotaged it were not black. Corporate power which bullied and humiliated ZC. It's a pity most guys here don't know the history, and never will because the media is selective.

I think it just goes to show how much more of a mess Bvute was that he came in and instead of actually doing any good, he tarnished the game beyond any reasonable acceptance and got away with it.

It is also worth noting that I do not only read 'selective media'. My info came from first hand accounts and first hand sources.

And until you can provide one reasonable argument against the forced status quo of players that has led to the shambles that is ZC, you only further highlight how you are only in this for yourself and not the greater good of the game, the players, and the fans.

[Jemisi]

G'Day Zimbos. Nice to read your thoughts.