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Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 12:20 pm
by sloandog
CrimsonAvenger wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 11:55 am
sloandog wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 11:34 am
I’m referring to ability I guess, not speed
For the first time in the history of ZCF sloan, you are referring to overall ability when someone dangled a pace question :D
I know mate :)
I agree with ZIMDOGGY the more I think about it, but maintain that the older a bowler gets the better he becomes in terms of skill and ability.
For those slightly older than me, was Pollock a 90pmh bowler when he first started around 1995? My old man said he watched a fiery spell between him and Klusener at the MCG in 1997 and he was convinced they were both bowling as quick if not quicker than Donald..?

Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:11 pm
by grant
sloandog wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 8:37 am
ZIMDOGGY wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:44 am
grant wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:18 am
He was easily our quickest seamer. I remember him clocking 140+ kph on multiple occasions (as high as 144 kph). His pace was a little inconsistent though. His pace was usually around the 135-136 kph mark, which even Mumba struggles to reach consistently.
I think you’re confusing Blessing with Kagosi Rabada.
I'm finding this really amusing, how so many people are getting sucked into the Muzarabani myth. The guy was a 79-83Mph type bowler, who could bend his back when he wasn't sulking on the boundary and in fairness did clock up to 87mph in the pink ball test against SA. But if anyone watched the entire game like I did you'll have noticed his pace was consistently around 76-80mph.
You're making him sound like Charlton Tshuma. Even Tiripano bowls 79-83 mph in ODIs. He was quicker in the limited overs stuff. He wasn't genuinely quick, but he was quicker than everyone else we had. I remember watching him bowl in that Tri-series in Bangladesh. He was mostly around the 135 kph mark, but did bowl many deliveries in the late 130s and early 140s as well. We all know that's "fast-medium" at best, not "fast", but we don't have a single bowler who's even as quick as him. He was very raw skills-wise and it was his pace and bounce that mostly got him wickets.

Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:20 pm
by grant
ZIMDOGGY wrote:
Wed Mar 04, 2020 11:12 am
Blessing is Nyauchi with a little bit of extra bounce.
I know most of us didn't like the way he left, but he was offered a county contract for a reason.

Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:24 pm
by ZIMDOGGY
grant wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:11 pm
sloandog wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 8:37 am
ZIMDOGGY wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 7:44 am


I think you’re confusing Blessing with Kagosi Rabada.
I'm finding this really amusing, how so many people are getting sucked into the Muzarabani myth. The guy was a 79-83Mph type bowler, who could bend his back when he wasn't sulking on the boundary and in fairness did clock up to 87mph in the pink ball test against SA. But if anyone watched the entire game like I did you'll have noticed his pace was consistently around 76-80mph.
You're making him sound like Charlton Tshuma. Even Tiripano bowls 79-83 mph in ODIs. He was quicker in the limited overs stuff. He wasn't genuinely quick, but he was quicker than everyone else we had. I remember watching him bowl in that Tri-series in Bangladesh. He was mostly around the 135 kph mark, but did bowl many deliveries in the late 130s and early 140s as well. We all know that's "fast-medium" at best, not "fast", but we don't have a single bowler who's even as quick as him. He was very raw skills-wise and it was his pace and bounce that mostly got him wickets.
I honestly am not sure what game you were watching. Every time I tuned in he was late 120s and early 130s.

More often, if I can’t watch a game I’ll read the comments here and on cricinfo intensely.
My memory is a lot of people here being disappointed with Blessings speed. A few more saying so guy that tall should be quicker’ and I remember I backed him up saying height doesn’t translate to speed etc. a fair bit of disappointment at his speeds and people wishing he would fire up a bit.

But to be fair, I do recall once or twice he may have touched 140.

Do you honestly think Sloandog would not have popped up online if he was cracking 145? Guys a magnet to that. He would know.

If Sloandog ever got lost all you’d need to do is go down to a local net and get someone bowling 145, and he will emerge from the trees. He won’t know how he got there either, but he will be there, drawn to the speed.

Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:25 pm
by ZIMDOGGY
grant wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:20 pm
ZIMDOGGY wrote:
Wed Mar 04, 2020 11:12 am
Blessing is Nyauchi with a little bit of extra bounce.
I know most of us didn't like the way he left, but he was offered a county contract for a reason.
1. Potential
2. A very good World Cup qualifying campaign against the assocs.
3. Potential
4. Height
5. Perceived potential
6. Intent to live in Pomland
7. Potential

Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:26 pm
by sloandog
grant wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:11 pm
Even Tiripano bowls 79-83 mph in ODIs.
No, he doesn't...that's my point, people have this perception that our guys can reach speeds quicker than they actually bowl.

As I say, I still stand by the fact he was a 80-83mph type of bowler who extracted good bounce from a length.

He was bending his back when he bowled against me on a pretty fast wicket in the middle of that hot English summer we had two seasons ago, and he wasn't the quickest I've faced. The skipper said to dig it in and 'crank it up.' He'd be welcomed back with open arms if I was the selector and he'd got the new ball for sure, but people's expectations of this kid needs to be lowered slightly. He's still a baby really

Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:30 pm
by sloandog
If Sloandog ever got lost all you’d need to do is go down to a local net and get someone bowling 145, and he will emerge from the trees. He won’t know how he got there either, but he will be there, drawn to the speed.
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Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:15 pm
by grant
I watched a little of his bowling in the first match against Sri Lanka in the Bangladesh Tri-series to refresh my memory. His pace seems to be very inconsistent. I've definitely seen him hit 140+ a few times in limited overs cricket, but he mostly bowled in the early to mid 130s I guess. I guess I overestimated his pace a fair bit, but he's still faster than any of the bowlers we currently have.

Here are his bowling speeds from his first over in that match (The last ball of the over was 133.2 kph):
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Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:26 pm
by sloandog
I loved that playing kit :(

Re: Blessing Muzarabani hints at Zimbabwe Cricket comeback

Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:28 pm
by grant
sloandog wrote:
Thu Mar 05, 2020 3:26 pm
He'd be welcomed back with open arms if I was the selector and he'd got the new ball for sure, but people's expectations of this kid needs to be lowered slightly. He's still a baby really
Yeah, he was very raw and probably still is.