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http://www.thestandard.co.zw/sports/338 ... in-nz.html

ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) will launch a full inquiry into the team’s poor performance on the tour to New Zealand.
The Alan Butcher-coached side lost the only Test match by an innings and 301 runs inside three days before succumbing to an unforgettable whitewash in the three One day International series. They also lost yesterday’s opening Twenty20 international.
The losses drew the ire of minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart, who called for a re-think in local cricket.


ZC managing director Ozias Bvute said the association would try to get to the root of what really happened in New Zealand.


“We fully understand the minister’s frustration both as the relevant authority of sport and as a cricket fan. The performance of our team in New Zealand has been a disappointment to us and indeed, to the nation as a whole.


“It would not be proper to try to find excuses as to what went wrong save to apologise to the nation and ensure our supporters that a full inquiry into our shortcomings will be made,” he said.


On the non inclusion of Vusi Sibanda from the team that is touring New Zealand, Bvute said the player was advised of the association’s policy before he went to Australia.


“Our standard policy is that we provide no objection to players spending time abroad to improve their game and the practice is even encouraged by the board. The condition however, is that the player fulfills a certain number of games in our league.


“The reasoning behind this is that should senior players be allowed to travel abroad without restriction, there would invariably never be any seasoned cricketers in the country and the role they play in imparting experience to younger players and improving the level of the game is valuable,” he said.


Meanwhile, Zimbabwe cricket team’s blues in New Zealand continued as they lost their opening Twenty20 international in Auckland by seven wickets yesterday.

i can tell you why.

A- We are shit as it is.... we are ok on our day but small pool/poor people/white flight means we are no gun side.

B-Matsikenyeri

C-People like vitori. cricket is alot like poker, you can win the world series of poker based on a purple patch of unperecedented form. Vitori had such a purple patch but he isnt good. I heard the hype.... i then turned the tv on and saw him bowl and i KNEW he will never sustain that success. selectors dont know this, ZCF dont know this either. I sound arrogant when i say this but i am so confident im right on this point. This isnt just vitori, but he epitomises my point.

D- Fielding.....seriously. Unfortunately that is a reflection on Butcher. I wonder if jason Gillespie would put his hand up for the role of national coach? i'd have him.

E- Confidence. Taylor has it. price has it. Waller MIGHT have it, rest dont.

F- Vusi- whether you agree with his problem or not his recent form was missed.

G- Cash money. Players like cash, and as i say if a talent emerges from zimbabwe, he will go where the money is. Thats why we will never have a warne, murali, kallis or dave warner. theres a certain player threshhold and the ceiling of that is probably a player like brendan taylor (who should average 40 in tests herein)

also like to note that i dont have anything against butcher, i think he brought something to the table early on... but now we might need a new directive, we all have our expiry date

This inquiry will come up with only one answer: ZC is not to blame.

Someone has already highlighted that only Btucher gets cricticised, and questioned how long it will be before Grant&Heath are put under the microscope as well.

Way I see it - fire all three! Before they came along, Zim was doing ok, and would have eqqualed & bettered these results.

Butcher: If he's given the boys any love, it's not reflected in either their fielding or performances! A look at the one individual who is said to be fearless and unperturbed by much(Waller) smacks of someone clueless of his surroundings! We're a poor country, we need a coach who is actually good at coaching, and can handle one discipline well, thus removing the need for both a separate permanent bowling and batting coach.

Streak: as it is Vitori&Jarvis have been commended for balls they've bowled, but their overall results have been downright pathetic. Arguably the worst new ball pair to ever represent the side. Irrelevant Bangladesh excluded, even making a provision for the dropped catches taken - a 20% positive adjustment of their stats still reveals some of the worst players to have ever donned ZIm's red&white. Our side has conceded huge totals in successive games, and we're thankful we batted 1st in the latest T20! Credit to him for moulding Mpofu, but Zim already had a player who ws way ahead of Mpofu - Rainsford - and he wasn't Streak's project. Shingi outbowled them and he's Curran's project!

Grant: Would love to credit Tino & Regis to him, but those fared better in the past against the same NZ, albeit A side but with equally good players bowlers(and to a lesser extent Intercontinental Cup games against the associates). What his coaching has resulted in is an even more horrendous return of the embarrassing Zim batting standards. Something he has achieved with wiser, older, more superior, better prepared and now more experienced seniors!

Taylor: It's and embarassment to think that with arguably the two best ever fielders for ZImbabwe(Grant&Heath) we might actually have to hire a fielding coach. Some of the dropped catches look deliberate and guiltless. One would not be out of place in saying that a large percantage of the players are directly sabbotaging the team. The sight of wicketkeepers(Mutizwa&Regis) dropping sitters, must be a concern. Even through the disadvantages of the tv, the rapport between players and their captain is one that appears sour! His being absent from countless post match interviews remains a mystery. Not shielding other players less suitable than himself was bound to generate some kind of animosity. Allround he's technically inept as a captain so the continued absence of Ewing, we're best served by trying to get a figure whom all the players will take to - Taibu!

ZC: We cannot convincingly argue against their treatment of Vusi, neither can we do so about their administration(something which is common among 60% of the Full Member boards), hwever, Zimbabwe was deprived of the inclusion of other palyers more suited to different formats e.g. Coventry-T20. Such a bloated support staff complement was unnecessary! Someone must be held accountable for that!

hhm wrote:It's and embarassment to think that with arguably the two best ever fielders for ZImbabwe(Grant&Heath) we might actually have to hire a fielding coach

Not sure how much I can agree with all that is written above, but this certainly yes, and it is unfortunate that this is the state. GF, Streaky and Ebrahim would probably be in the top 5 we ever had, and we had some of the best fielders in business not so long ago.

paul strang was an absolute gun as well.

Craig ervine from memory is handy.

also as crap as they are, dabengwa and matsi wont let u down in the field (i admit i dont monitor this though)

Craig is pretty slow in the field. Can't really say he is our top fieldsman

Vusi's issue is very clear. The country has a system that aims to enrich its game. No one is exempted in the enforcement of that set-up. I think this talk about 'psychological dissatisfaction' of players is utter rubbish. Cricket players, especially Zimbabwean cricket players have taken too much for granted for too long.

Sean Williams was very good at backward point. Even as late as the 2008 season Zimbabwe were very good in the field... between Williams, Matsikenyeri, Dabengwa and Utseya the inner ring was well covered.

Jarvis has shown some tenacity in the field while others like Mutizwa look lethargic. Teams like Australia are methodical; even those who aren't the most naturally athletic follow the same process (drilled into them by the fielding coach) so they look better than they are.

There's no excuse for poor fielding, it's the one thing that can be developed independently of match practice. Pressure situations aside of course (and I think the mental aspect is a part of the problem for this team), but if it's practised enough I think it can be compensated for.