System failure behind fast bowling woes

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tawac
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System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by tawac »

https://www.theindependent.co.zw/2017/1 ... ling-woes/
DURING the second Test between Zimbabwe and the West Indies in October, commentator Alan Wilkins, the former English county player, posed a question to colleague Vusi Sibanda, wondering why pace bowler Michael Chinouya, a drinks-carrier during the series, does not get a fair crack of the whip despite always being in the squad.
Sports Panorama with Enock Muchinjo

“I think he must be given a chance,” remarked Wilkins. “If he is not good enough he is not good enough.”

Wilkins is one of the most respected and authoritative voices in international sport. He has not made his name in cricket alone — but also in football, tennis, golf, rugby, squash and even Formula One.

His views on Chinouya, after much digesting, pretty much summed up for me Zimbabwe’s problems with fast bowlers.




There is a nagging feeling, something that tells you we do not really nurture and manage our pace bowlers’ progress well.

It is not just Chinouya. But as a case in point, for someone who has been around for quite a while now, a player groomed with so much hype for a number of seasons, Chinouya cannot remain a fringe player forever. It is either he is good enough or he is not: simple as that.

It has been said time again that Zimbabwe’s bowling attack lacks real quality to trouble most international batting line-ups.

But there is something we do not do well to fix this Achilles problem and for a team coached by no less a man than Heath Streak, one would expect this to be addressed as a matter of priority.

Wilkins’ remarks on Chinouya aside, this piece is also inspired by the selection of exciting 20-year-old fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani for the historic and experimental day-night Test match with South Africa starting on Boxing Day in Port Elizabeth.

Streak almost ran out of words this week to describe the young chap, who stands some two metres tall and probably still growing. The coach has every reason to get excited by this new prodigy of Zimbabwean cricket.

Young Muzarabani is tall, really tall, and he hits the deck hard and generates very good pace quite constantly.




He also has potential to get bounce out of lifeless pitches — a very useful weapon in any pace bowler’s armoury.

But here lies the big question: without even expecting Muzarabani to make his debut on Boxing Day, how long is he going to be allowed to progress as an international cricketer following this call-up?

Will he be given a chance over a permissible period of time, over a consistent run of games, to show if he really is good enough or not.




One hopes he does not fall by the wayside like many before him.

Not so long ago, we had other young fast bowlers — Carl Mumba and Richard Ngarava — being called up to the national side amid the same kind of hype as Muzarabani’s.

Forgive my pessimism, but we have been there before. It is going to be hard for these youngsters to reclaim their places in the team. Even harder for those before them, like Luke Jongwe, Richard Muzhange and Neville Madziva—who in my opinion were never given a decent run to prove their worth.

Does the system fail these players?

To an extent yes.

But also in the case of one or two players I have mentioned above, it has also been down to personal discipline and temperament.

Guidance and hand-holding, in their case, was not there. They were left alone in a big world, where fame and a bit of fortune seemed to be knocking.

We need to develop a strong support system, especially for the greater benefit of the guys from the less privileged backgrounds — often the biggest victims of the tendency to count chickens before they hatch.
CHRISTOPHER MPOFU: 'The problem was fear of failure. I used to think that when I played, if I didn't do well in one game, I would lose my place for the next one but now I've let go of that'

sloandog
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by sloandog »

I want somebody on the ground to tell me how fast this kid is..
Is he as fast as the pundits are making him to be, or is he just another 82-83mph bowler with the new ball, and a 77-78Mph bowler after his first blast?

TapsC
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by TapsC »

this is a really good article. I wonder who wrote it. I agree that our fast bowling unit really has a lot of work to do. it just lacks any kind of sting. I honestly thought we had solved our problems when Jarvis Vitori and Chatara cracked the team but a few years later and one had left, one was banned and one broke his leg playing football out of all things. this really affected us. we never got to see those 3 guys bowling at their peak together. they would have been devastating if you ask me.

our cycle seems to produce fast bowlers every 3/4 years which is not good enough. isn't the u19 world cup every 2 years? the rising stars might bridge that gap and so far it hasn't disappointed consider that at full strength the Rising stars probably have the strongest fast bowling unit in the country. well most venomous at least because the mountaineers aren't too bad either. Mumba Ngarava and Blessing are the future and money needs to be used to make sure they keep developing.

As for Chinouya I honestly have seen him bowl once and despite giving his all I just didn't think he was good enough. when do you drop people? that's a good question. it all depends on the upcoming talent for me. for a long time we didn't have kids waiting for a chance but now considering all that's happening it's going to be very difficult for guys like Chinouya and Chamu and Waller to stay in the squad.

those kids are hungry and in a situation the old guard never found themselves in. competing for places. guys like Tari and Burl are under so much pressure to deliver that you will see them grabbing every opportunity they get. Burl got food poisoning in that Sri Lanka series, Tari stepped up and that was it. he knows that if he gets a chance in PE to play and he doesn't get a score he will most likely be replaced by Tari for the tri-series. so it pushes him .for so long guys would be play terribly and still get picked. this created mediocre players.

I also agree that Madziva was never given a fair run in the team

tawac
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by tawac »

One thing that's a given is that Zimbabwe does not play sufficient cricket to give any one a dissent run. Players are picked played out of position and thrown back in the water. The system is failing players in general not only the bowlers. Someone pointed out that Mire should be given a fair run but the thing is he has done nothing really to warrant that opening spot yet you have Kasuza, Zhuwao, Chibhabha, Kaia, who play the role on a more consistent basis. Maybe they are not good enough but is Mire all that better?
Jongwe, Madziva, Chisoro, Wasakadza were quite a revelation when they were introduced to the ODI side. Where did they go wrong? Chisoro seems to be back. Wasakadza is not far off. It will be interesting to see how Blessing is managed and considering we also have Ngarava and Mumba in the picture.
CHRISTOPHER MPOFU: 'The problem was fear of failure. I used to think that when I played, if I didn't do well in one game, I would lose my place for the next one but now I've let go of that'

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jaybro
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by jaybro »

In fairness Mumba is injured but yes Ngarava was spoken about in the same light as Blessing

It’s not a bad thing for a player like Ngarava to be blooded than put back to domestic level to work on things, he clearly has talent but is still very raw as the A tour of UAE showed.

As for Madziva, Jongwe and Wellington yes they all have good numbers but all their success can against Afghanistan for Madziva ( in ODI’s ) whilst Jongwe and Wellington did well against Ireland also.

Jongwe and Madziva have both fallen away badly with bat and ball whilst Wellington has fallen behind Chisoro which I doubt many will complain about.

TapsC made a good point about Zimbabwe not playing enough games hurting them when it comes to giving young players a decent run, if Zimbabwe played more games it would help give them time to see if these guys have what it takes.
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ZIMDOGGY
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by ZIMDOGGY »

It’s not that great an article?
What the fuck had chinouya done to warrant slectiob?
He took like one wicket the test he was given. Good action, but was only a soft 125 km/hr bowler.

That’s nothing to hype about.

Regardless, article almost knowingly contradicts itself by saying blessing has been given it a go for the SA Test.

Trust me, if we find a real prodigy, they will be treated like gold
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Flakeman
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by Flakeman »

I’ll be super pissed off if either Jarvis or Chatara get the boot for Blessing in this Test. He’s 6ft8 yea, so what? Irfan is 7ft1 and SA spanked him when they toured down south. He could give us the odd jaffer, sure, but he’s nowhere near the level of Jarvis and Chatara. TapsC is right when he says the trio of Chatara, Jarvis, and Vitori could’ve been a handful. Oh well, not too late yet.

Let’s get some predictions going boys ! For both the 3 day game, and the Test.

I really really really want us to win this. If there’s a team I’d love to beat in a test match it’s SA, what with their super smug attitude towards us. We can almost guarantee it’ll be a pitch suiting the pace bowlers. But Jarvis and Chatara are gonna be a reasonable handful on a grassy pitch, I think. I reckon we’ll do far better than Bangladesh on this tour.

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Black Mamba
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by Black Mamba »

Chinouya, Shingi Masakadza haven't taken their game to next level in A games. Bowling 140+ should be at the right areas troubling the batsman.

Vitori had the natural ability to bowl inswingers to right handers and out swingers to left handers at 140 + the skill that needed for left arm pacers to get success, but his problem with action has finished him.


Chris Mpofu, has less venom with pace reluctant to bowl maidens then taking wickets.

Chatara is best at present for his awkward action and pace that makes batsman tough to guess.

Mumba & Ngarava has got time to improve.

Finally, Slow pitches of Bulawayo & Harare can't produce fast bowling skills for Zimbabwe.Green Pitch with bounce required to produce fast bowlers, some of the talents with Rising Stars that toured UK has got success in seaming conditions of UK

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CrimsonAvenger
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by CrimsonAvenger »

Yeah, agree with ZIMDOGGY. A bit of a strange article that, coming from Enock Muchinjo. I mean quoting Alan Wilkins to bat for Chinouya? What does Wilkins even know about Zim Cricket? That is just a generic statement he made with no knowledge of what are Chinouya's credentials.

Agree with TapsC's views - Jarvis, Chatara & Vitori had a decade of dominance in front of them at that stage - if only everything had fallen in place. But yeah, they are still around, thankfully...

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eugene
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Re: System failure behind fast bowling woes

Post by eugene »

Chinouya is too good, relative to other domestic players, to not be picked in extended national squads, but not good enough to play international cricket. Most of our bowlers fall into this category unfortunately.
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