For the rest, we are still trying to defend the indefensible. To assert that Cephas would have heard a poor outing anyway with only very scant data (and even fewer visuals) to support this is very unfortunate, ad only adds to your bias against certain players.
Cephas didn't eat up any balls (played only two balls in one game I think) so you can't assert that he struggled. He simply played his natural game and it didn't come off.
The numbers speak for themselves regarding Cephas. He lasted an average of 13 balls per match or something very close to that. Thats just 2 overs essentially. Even at a strike rate of 150, thats 20 runs in 2 overs. Cephas played almost all the matches and ZIM only scored more than 265 one time, against one the weakest sides/bowling attacks in the competition. Against an attack with Naveed bowling at his very best, Cephas would not have lasted much longer than Masakadza nor scored many more than Taylor. He played and missed 50% of the deliveries he faced against teams like Hong Kong and Scotland. Against the top sides (WI, AFG, IRE) I think he scored 20 odd runs at an average of about 7. These aren't even Malcolm, Vusi, or Elton numbers. Moor was the right call and he anchored the chase. Mire, Masakadza, and Taylor failed and Williams and Raza got out at crucial times.
Cephas getting bowled by naveed is an assumption. You dont know that for sure. Who said he woud have faced that many naveed deliveries in those first 8 overs? Mire could have faced the opening ball like he did. In the games Cephas did well we scored reasonable totals. Scoring 32 out of 240 odd runs using 25% of the deliveries available is not good in the context of the game. This is against the UAE not india. Any world class team would consider that a failure because he didnt continue after getting himself comfortably in.
You absolutely have to continue like what Williams did. That is an ODI knock. Start off slowly then catch up by increasing your scoring options. Turning dot balls into singles then 2s then a boundary. PJ cant do that. This is well known. The only way he can catch up is to hit the ball out the ground. Even in test cricket. He does the same but that works better for him in that format. Not when there is scoreboard pressure.
There are serious selection issues when you anchor is played at number 7 because he struggles against the new ball. So what exactly is he in the team for? PJ was brought into the team to score quickly. Thats why we assumed he would open and score quickly like what he did the last time he had played the UAE. If not that then he should have closed the innings at 7 because he can hit the ball well . Why wouod you play a team with 2 anchors in an ODI?. This is actually what cost us here. Its so obvious
Last edited by TapsC on Mon Mar 26, 2018 4:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
For the rest, we are still trying to defend the indefensible. To assert that Cephas would have heard a poor outing anyway with only very scant data (and even fewer visuals) to support this is very unfortunate, ad only adds to your bias against certain players.
Cephas didn't eat up any balls (played only two balls in one game I think) so you can't assert that he struggled. He simply played his natural game and it didn't come off.
The numbers speak for themselves regarding Cephas. He lasted an average of 13 balls per match or something very close to that. Thats just 2 overs essentially. Even at a strike rate of 150, thats 20 runs in 2 overs. Cephas played almost all the matches and ZIM only scored more than 265 one time, against one the weakest sides/bowling attacks in the competition. Against an attack with Naveed bowling at his very best, Cephas would not have lasted much longer than Masakadza nor scored many more than Taylor. He played and missed 50% of the deliveries he faced against teams like Hong Kong and Scotland. Against the top sides (WI, AFG, IRE) I think he scored 20 odd runs at an average of about 7. These aren't even Malcolm, Vusi, or Elton numbers. Moor was the right call and he anchored the chase. Mire, Masakadza, and Taylor failed and Williams and Raza got out at crucial times.
Cephas getting bowled by naveed is an assumption. You dont know that for sure. Who said he woud have faced that many naveed deliveries in those first 8 overs? Mire could have faced the opening ball like he did. In the games Cephas did well we scored reasonable totals. Scoring 32 out of 240 odd runs using 25% of the deliveries available is not good in the context of the game. This is against the UAE not india. Any world class team would consider that a failure because he didnt continue after getting himself comfortably in.
You absolutely have to continue like what Williams did. That is an ODI knock. Start off slowly then catch up by increasing your scoring options. Turning dot balls into singles then 2s then a boundary. PJ cant do that. This is well known. The only way he can catch up is to hit the ball out the ground. Even in test cricket. He does the same but that works better for him in that format. Not when there is scoreboard pressure.
There are serious selection issues when you anchor is played at number 7 because he struggles against the new ball. So what exactly is he in the team for? PJ was brought into the team to score quickly. Thats why we assumed he would open and score quickly like what he did the last time he had played the UAE. If not that then he should have closed the innings at 7 because he can hit the ball well . Why wouod you play a team with 2 anchors in an ODI?. This is actually what cost us here. Its so obvious
There are serious selection issues when you anchor is played at number 7 because he struggles against the new ball. So what exactly is he in the team for? PJ was brought into the team to score quickly. Thats why we assumed he would open and score quickly like what he did the last time he had played the UAE. If not that then he should have closed the innings at 7 because he can hit the ball well . Why wouod you play a team with 2 anchors in an ODI?. This is actually what cost us here. Its so obvious
The reason Craig was at 7 was because the top order was packed with players and not enough space. Its like an HHM situation where he basically wants everyone he doesn't like to open so Vusi and Elton can bat at 4 and 5. The problem is you can only have 2 guys open in a given match; the rest of the guys have to play in the middle order.
Now Craig can't open. Moor had 3 (questionable pick I agree, but he did an OK job stabilizing the innings after 3 early wickets). BT had 4 and Williams came in at 5 with Raza at 6. Those 3 batted in the absolute correct spot. So the reason Craig was in at 7 was because Mire and/or Masakadza were wasting spots opening. Either of them could have made way for Moor to open and then Ervine could slotted in at 3 or 4 or 5.
In hindsight it didn't work out and yes, PJ is likely not good enough for this level with his averages. But the guy's grit got ZIM a lot closer than Cephas' flash would have. And yes that is an assumption, but its a sound one based on the data we have available to us.
It's all water under the bridge now, but I think it would have been better (at least against the stronger sides and in the Super6s) to split the Cephas-Mire combo with one of them coming in at 7. We definitely lacked a bit of oomph down the order and relied too much on Raza. Mire did all right when he came back late in the innings after he got hit on the helmet. My initial suggestion for Cephas was to bat in the lower order because I suspected he'd be cannon fodder to good opening bowlers; on the other hand he can hit spinners like there is no tomorrow. 5 overs of Cephas between overs 35-40 could be more destructive than 5 overs up top.
The other thing that I forgot to mention about Cephas is that he doesn't seem to me to be a natural marauder a la Gayle or Sehwag or McCullum. His domestic List A strike rate is only in the mid 80s and his average in the mid 20s. Now if he was averaging 25 at a strike rate of 140, it would make sense. Or conversely an averge of 35 at a strike rate of 80. But a career strike rate of 85 to me indicates that he hasn't always played in the manner that he did in this tournament. This is something he's just tried recently, or more to the point was probably instructed to do by management as an X factor/pinch hitter.
Those blaming it on dropping Cephas, and PJ playing a little slower do not really understand the game.
PJ came in and had to rebuild the innings. We were three down. Hammy and Mire failed at the top, and we lost our best player. PJ did what the circumstance required. Held one end and rotated the strike whilst Sean was the aggressor. This is why the like of Cephas and Mire have not been as consistent. They do not play to the conditions or the circumstance. They just swing at every damn thing and hope for the best. When it comes off, it looks great, but when it puts your team 2 down for less than 50, it adds more pressure than needed.
In this match Mire would have been better down the bottom for the exact situation that happened. Needing big hits at the end. In fairness to Craig, we all know he is not a big hitter, but it should not have come down to him and Kyle. The match should have been killed off before. We lost key players at crucial moments to some silly shot selection.
I'm getting sick of losing to associates, and lower down teams. Unfortunately, as long as ZC is run by the people and groups that currently run it, we will see that happen for long and we will continue to drop down the ladder.
This should really be the wake up call Zim Cricket needs, but already we are already seeing Mukhulani looking to blame the players and coaches and take no real accountability.
Those blaming it on dropping Cephas, and PJ playing a little slower do not really understand the game.
PJ came in and had to rebuild the innings. We were three down. Hammy and Mire failed at the top, and we lost our best player. PJ did what the circumstance required. Held one end and rotated the strike whilst Sean was the aggressor. This is why the like of Cephas and Mire have not been as consistent. They do not play to the conditions or the circumstance. They just swing at every damn thing and hope for the best. When it comes off, it looks great, but when it puts your team 2 down for less than 50, it adds more pressure than needed.
In this match Mire would have been better down the bottom for the exact situation that happened. Needing big hits at the end. In fairness to Craig, we all know he is not a big hitter, but it should not have come down to him and Kyle. The match should have been killed off before. We lost key players at crucial moments to some silly shot selection.
I'm getting sick of losing to associates, and lower down teams. Unfortunately, as long as ZC is run by the people and groups that currently run it, we will see that happen for long and we will continue to drop down the ladder.
This should really be the wake up call Zim Cricket needs, but already we are already seeing Mukhulani looking to blame the players and coaches and take no real accountability.
Yes thank you Zimbo_05 some sense finally
Can't believe all these people saying dropping Zhuwao was the reason we lost
Those blaming it on dropping Cephas, and PJ playing a little slower do not really understand the game.
PJ came in and had to rebuild the innings. We were three down. Hammy and Mire failed at the top, and we lost our best player. PJ did what the circumstance required. Held one end and rotated the strike whilst Sean was the aggressor. This is why the like of Cephas and Mire have not been as consistent. They do not play to the conditions or the circumstance. They just swing at every damn thing and hope for the best. When it comes off, it looks great, but when it puts your team 2 down for less than 50, it adds more pressure than needed.
In this match Mire would have been better down the bottom for the exact situation that happened. Needing big hits at the end. In fairness to Craig, we all know he is not a big hitter, but it should not have come down to him and Kyle. The match should have been killed off before. We lost key players at crucial moments to some silly shot selection.
I'm getting sick of losing to associates, and lower down teams. Unfortunately, as long as ZC is run by the people and groups that currently run it, we will see that happen for long and we will continue to drop down the ladder.
This should really be the wake up call Zim Cricket needs, but already we are already seeing Mukhulani looking to blame the players and coaches and take no real accountability.
Yes thank you Zimbo_05 some sense finally
Can't believe all these people saying dropping Zhuwao was the reason we lost
Indeed. The senior management and board recruit the coaches, selectors etc. They are in charge of the system that is meant to produce the best possible team. It is a cop out for them to blame coaches and players when things go wrong and, as I've said on another thread, simply serves to cover the overall inadequacies at the top level of ZC. There have been some changes and one or two have gone, but so much more needs to be done.
An old boss once said to me the the secret of success was to surround yourself with good people. There are good people in Zimbabwe, many thousands of them, who have the knowledge and would work tirelessly to improve the internal structure within Zim. Someone needs to have the vision and leadership to make this happen.
Those blaming it on dropping Cephas, and PJ playing a little slower do not really understand the game.
PJ came in and had to rebuild the innings. We were three down. Hammy and Mire failed at the top, and we lost our best player. PJ did what the circumstance required. Held one end and rotated the strike whilst Sean was the aggressor. This is why the like of Cephas and Mire have not been as consistent. They do not play to the conditions or the circumstance. They just swing at every damn thing and hope for the best. When it comes off, it looks great, but when it puts your team 2 down for less than 50, it adds more pressure than needed.
In this match Mire would have been better down the bottom for the exact situation that happened. Needing big hits at the end. In fairness to Craig, we all know he is not a big hitter, but it should not have come down to him and Kyle. The match should have been killed off before. We lost key players at crucial moments to some silly shot selection.
I'm getting sick of losing to associates, and lower down teams. Unfortunately, as long as ZC is run by the people and groups that currently run it, we will see that happen for long and we will continue to drop down the ladder.
This should really be the wake up call Zim Cricket needs, but already we are already seeing Mukhulani looking to blame the players and coaches and take no real accountability.
I get that point. The innings needed to be stabilized. If we look back at PJs thought process i get what he was trying to do. My criticism does not mean i dont understand the game. Its an alternative view.
Look at it this way. What exactly is Craigs role in the team then? Is he not a stabilizer? Its then clear that there was an imbalance in the team with too many stabilizers because he didnt have enough time to settle because the other stabilizer used up too many deliveries. Craig had no role in the team because of the way the order was set.
Also looking at it from the match situation Williams was not an aggressor at all until much later in the game. Him finding gaps better than PJ does not make him an aggressor. At an international level what williams did is actually the stabilizer role. Start slowly, find gaps and slowly begin to accelerate. PJs innings never got to that stage. In 60 deliveries. He never started turning dots to singles then singles into 2s then 2s into 4s. Thats why he found himself in tht situation. Thats his whole limited overs career in one innings for you.
With Ervine still in the hut and knowing he needs time PJ should have tried harder maybe after 40 deliveries. This was not a 50 over game. You cant be that slow when he had to score at almost 6 an over. Thats 10 whole overs out of 40 that he faced. This is the UAE as well.
Others failed too. Hami failed. He had a terrible tournament. Mire failed. That doesnt mean PJ played a great knock. Its not his fault at all. He played exactly how we all know he was going to play. Its the people in charge who should take the blame for that specific situation. As much as you want Streak to stay we cant hide from the truth that batting order was a mistake. That was not the first time he played Ervine at 7 and it also failed. Why did he repeat it?
A 10 ball 20 from Cephas wouldn’t have won us the game, we lost the game because again we couldn’t get two batsman to fire in the same innings.
There’s a lot of finger pointing going on and it’s easy to say we should have done this and we should have done that, in the end the Cephas experiment didn’t work
A quick fire 40 odd against Nepal and Hong Kong and scores of around 20 against Ireland & Scotland
Couldn’t get off the mark against the World Class attacks.
I agree playing Ervine down at 7 was pointless he is a top 4 player, but I’m pretty sure you were the main guy callingfir him to drop down the order TapsC
