Cricket selectors’ costly decisions

[CrimsonAvenger]

http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2011-0 ... -decisions

Zimbabwe national cricket team selectors will rue the decision to leave out the more experienced batsmen from the World Cup squad after an inept show by the team at the global showcase.

Zimbabwe has been eliminated from the 2011 World Cup in Asia after posting just one win from five matches played so far.

While Zimbabwe was not expecting much from the current showcase, the hope was that the team would at least compete and show that they can take on giants, yet on the evidence of their performance they are still far from that.

The selectors’ panel surprised many with the exclusion of Hamilton Masakadza from the squad while the non-selection of Chamu Chibhabha also raised eyebrows.

Also left out but deserving a place based on statistics and form, which cricket is all about, was Mountaineers opener Mark Vermeulen.

It is the decision to leave out Masakadza that stands out and one that should be haunting selectors’ chief Alistair Campbell and his crew.

The initial squad had Regis Chakabva as the only other genuine opening batsman besides Brendan Taylor but the selectors were bent on tinkering with explosive middle-order batter Charles Coventry at the top, an experiment which had disastrous results.

Coventry managed just 18 runs in three innings including a duck against New Zealand.

Masakadza, while he had a woeful record in the run-up to the tournament, would have always been a better option than the selectors choice of the grand stage to reinvent Coventry in a bigger challenge.

Masakadza has scored the highest number of runs in a single series for Zimbabwe with his 467 that featured two centuries and one half-century against Kenya in 2009.

Despite that loss of form few in the World Cup squad match his statistics, and he like captain Elton Chigumbura who has been also deserted by runs, should have made it rather than experiment. Chigumbura has so far scored 58 runs in five innings at the world Cup.

Andy Blignaut is arguably Zimbabwe’s best all-rounder of all time.

The explosive batsman briefly made a return to the national team in 2009 but disappeared off the radar again after failing to agree contract terms with Zimbabwe Cricket.

He is one player who would have made all the difference with both bat and ball. While there was so much talk about Zimbabwe’s bowling they lacked wicket-taking incisiveness.

It was not the first time that Blignaut had a collision with cricket authorities over salaries and this time reports indicate he considered what he had been offered measly in comparison to his demands.

A compromise should have been made and in this case it is ZC that should have bent over backwards for a player of such importance and talent.

Zimbabwe failed to take a single wicket against New Zealand and suffered a ten-wicket defeat and struggled against Sri Lanka’s opening partnership which pounded 282.

In the matches that Zimbabwe had to chase, they lacked the experience and acumen to run down scores, a bill that would have fitted Blignaut well. He scored one of the quickest half-centuries, 54 off 25 balls, at the 2003 World Cup.

Zimbabwe needed all the experience they could get and that is why the selectors will find it hard to vindicate themselves for ignoring Vermeulen.

The Mountaineers batsman has had his troubles, having brushes with the laws and authorities many a time.

But having promised reform and playing just as well as he has been on the domestic scene the temperamental player should have been selected.

He last played for Zimbabwe in 2009 scoring a half-century against Bangladesh and with the team surrendering so easily losing 10 wickets for just 72 runs against Sri Lanka, you can’t help but wish he could have been part of it.

Another player that quickly comes to mind is Chamu Chibhabha out of those that were overlooked.

After Sean Ervine’s withdrawal from the squad on the eve of the tournament, Tino Mawoyo was given the berth as the selectors agreed on bringing in an opening batsman.

Even after Mawoyo was forced to withdraw through injury Chibhabha was still overlooked with Terry Duffin winning a place.

One would have thought Chibhabha, with a few half-centuries against strong opposition, he should have been brought in to try and improve the top order which was struggling to last the first 15 overs in most of their matches.

Against Pakistan they were chopped down to 43-4 within the first 13 overs and against Australia Zimbabwe were soon down to 44-4 again within the first 13 overs.

[Flower power]

I agree with you , Chibhabha is a fearless opening batsmen who can take on any side .
I think the board should review who the selectors are going to . The selectors were given several lifelines to correct their decisons but stuck to their gones . Ali Campbell was never my best cricketers . He always made the runs come in slowly and we nicknamed him "Kamba" which means tortoise . Maybe he is going to make the right decisions but it will be already late .

[eugene]

Chibhabha may be fearless but he doesn't tend to score any runs.

[Flower power]

Chibhabha can get yu fifties as compared to trying out Coventry who is more comfy in the middle order .Experimenting with players should be done at Zim A or franchises