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Detailed Test Return Programme Set: Q & A with ZC Managing Director, Ozias Bvute

Q: Recent media reports indicate that Zimbabwe Cricket is committed to returning to Test cricket in 2011, has an exact date for your re-entry been set?
A: Crucial to us is that we set out a re-entry programme that is gradual and responsible and that will allow us to assess ourselves over a period of time. It will not happen overnight.

Q: What are the elements of the programme and are you looking to fulfill the set 2011 Future Tours Programme (FTP)?
A: It would be premature for us to jump straight into a normal playing schedule like all the other nations, instead we are working on a new calendar which will hopefully see us play Bangladesh, West Indies and then New Zealand over the next two years. We are yet to approach any of these boards with our request though we would like Bangladesh to play in a test match here in Zimbabwe soon after the 2011 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup ends in April next year.

Q: When do you then envision being able to take up your FTP commitments?
A: The gradual re-entry is intentional to allow our cricketers to build confidence and gain momentum. Supreme to all this is the integrity of the results such that they are reflective of competitive cricket matches.

Q: After you have played the countries you propose how do you see the future thereafter?
A: We will engage the rest of the cricketing world with the objective of playing once-off fixtures in Zimbabwe over a period. We recognize that in the short term, it may not be commercially viable for the other nations to have Zimbabwe touring but we will engage them with the prospect of allowing out national team to play their A sides in their countries. This will allow our team to familiarize themselves with other playing conditions and ultimately gain more experience.

Q: How long do you see this process taking?
A: As highlighted the process is gradual we are envisioning a 5 to 6 year calendar, that takes us to a stage where we will have normal cricketing calendars like all the other nations.

Q: Have you been encouraged by the recent results?
A: We have certainly been encouraged but are also cognisant that they will be many more challenging days ahead and that the greatest hurdle we must overcome is for our team to be consistent. A lot more work needs to be done to ensure that the objective of playing consistent and competitive cricket is achieved. I am confident that the technical team we have around our boys in both the franchise and national team structures set us in the right direction.

Q: Do you envision your domestic structures playing a role in getting you ready for your re-entry?
A: It is hoped that our domestic cricket structure will serve as a valuable feeder system to our national team and to this end we have given a directive that our franchises engage coaches of a very high international standards such that they are imparting a significant level of skill to the players they are working with. We have also made it mandatory that each team has a set number of foreign players. From a fixtures perspective, we are in discussions that will see franchises from other countries touring Zimbabwe on a regular basis to play against our franchise and composite national team sides in multi-day cricket.

Very interesting. Could I ask what the source of this interview is?

liamb wrote:Very interesting. Could I ask what the source of this interview is?

Whoops, forgot the link. ICC website: http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/newsdetail ... 1276595580

Interesting interview. I'm slightly disappointed that It'll take another 5-6 years Until we begin to play the bigger nations. But like he said, these things mustn't be rushed. Good find Maehara

I agree with the approach ZC is taking,, look at bd, when they got to england they played the first test match properly, after that things went belly up. a gardual progession is the best that why to go,over time good young players come through the ranks and play with the older ones... go zim go.. we have no business playing Oz just yet, in time we will get there. one test match at a time

5-6 years period is too long, if we play Bangladesh and WI in 2011, NZ in 2012 does it mean we play them for the next 5 years, that's a bit disappointing, it would be good to play ODIs with 1or 2 tests to guage how far we are. When teams join test playing nations they do not wait that long as they will never learn much at such a rate.

I see it more as a plan to work up the table. Bangladesh, WI and NZ are the bottom three Test sides - if we can't beat them, there's no point moving up to higher-ranked teams, so play a few series, see how the results go, and move up if appropriate.

As far as testing ourselves against the top end of the table goes, we'll have the annual SA Test to measure ourselves by.

Another way to look at it: we'll likely play Tests against 4 sides next year. That's the same as any other Full Member side - we'll just have the advantage of picking our opposition...

maehara wrote:I see it more as a plan to work up the table. Bangladesh, WI and NZ are the bottom three Test sides - if we can't beat them, there's no point moving up to higher-ranked teams, so play a few series, see how the results go, and move up if appropriate.

As far as testing ourselves against the top end of the table goes, we'll have the annual SA Test to measure ourselves by.

Another way to look at it: we'll likely play Tests against 4 sides next year. That's the same as any other Full Member side - we'll just have the advantage of picking our opposition...

Zim has won test series against India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, so it is hard to say we should play WI, NZ, Bamgladesh first then prove against them first. We have not defeated WI or NZ before, teams which we cannot defeat on paper could be ones we beat. The only guage at the end of the day is playing all the test playing counties as per test matches programme.

shumbat wrote:Zim has won test series against India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, so it is hard to say we should play WI, NZ, Bamgladesh first then prove against them first.

Pre-crisis, with a very different team & setup. Bangladesh I would hope we can still beat, especially at home, but India and Pakistan, with our current side? I'd be very doubtful - the batting lineup is still too unreliable, the bowling too reliant on a spin attack that's great at choking off runs & creating pressure in a one-day match but not so good at taking wickets - especially, I suspect, when the pressure of 50 overs ticking down isn't there. The side needs to develop, it needs to develop while playing Test cricket - as Davy Houghton himself has said - but we need to be realistic about how good we really are.

Bear in mind, also, that certain people will hold every lost match over our heads as proof that we're not good enough, that we're making a mockery of their cherished "integrity of the game", that we should be bumped back to Associate level (with the unspoken "where you belong" tacked on at the end of it). The phased return that ZC are talking about is specifically designed to deal with that complaint by only taking on matches we have a chance of winning, and that's quite a clever move on ZC's part. It also won't do our Test rankings any harm.

OK, I've always assumed that after Bangladesh we'll pick up our FTP and run with it. But ZC have thought much more about it and they're right. If we beat Bangladesh, take NZ and WI to the 5th day and aren't disgraced by SA then 2011 will be fruitful. If we are competitive against Sri Lanka A, Pakistan A or England A on foreign soil in 2012 then that's also very useful; additionally our players will take on domestic sides of other nations (I hope our A side continue the Intercontinental Cup but they could end up too strong ). After hearing the debate after Bangladesh's defeats in England I think this is an extremely sensible approach by ZC. But with the talent in this squad, the youngsters and the grassroots we should find more offers of Tests than anticipated during the 5-6 year period, I think.