Houghton Resigns (Confirmed by ZC)

[Pat_Bee]

Week’s notice is ample time. This soft culture is why we get nowhere.

[Googly]

It's not a soft culture. People need to go home for Christmas.

[Kriterion_BD]

Week’s notice is ample time. This soft culture is why we get nowhere.

I think the real reason is that a guy does half decent against opposition like Oman, Nigeria, or Switzerland and then gets the proverbial ZCF "world class" tag. They then get exposed once you step up teams like Netherlands or Scotland. Just to remember context matters, Nepal recently scored 314-3 in a T20 vs Mongolia, and now that is the current world record team total in all T20Is. Some guy hit 50 off 9 balls I think. Is it a world class performance? Almost assuredly not.

[TapsC2]

It's not a soft culture. People need to go home for Christmas.

Maybe they should have said the 27th. Given the situation Zimbabwe Cricket finds itself in those games need to happen. If they really love this game and Zimbabwe cricket then this shouldn't be a happy Christmas anyway. They probably picked Bulawayo because of the conditions. It might be raining though.

[TapsC2]

If the squads are picked properly it gives somebody like Nick Welch a chance to book a ticket. Maybe even his brother at this rate I'm not against these games at all

[TapsC2]

I think our biggest issues is the bowlers. If Blessing and Ngarava get injured we are toast. Completely done.

[ZIMDOGGY]

I think our biggest issues is the bowlers. If Blessing and Ngarava get injured we are toast. Completely done.

Blessing and Richie are decent bowlers, and to a lesser extent Evans too, but it’s criminal how badly fast bowling drops off after that.
In a poor country of 12 million with no shortage of fit black dudes fast bowling should be the one thing we excel or at least have decent depth at.
If we had just two more Richie and Blessings that would be enough to stay afloat internationally for the foreseeable future.

[Kriterion_BD]

Blessing and Richie are decent bowlers, and to a lesser extent Evans too, but it’s criminal how badly fast bowling drops off after that.
In a poor country of 12 million with no shortage of fit black dudes fast bowling should be the one thing we excel or at least have decent depth at.
If we had just two more Richie and Blessings that would be enough to stay afloat internationally for the foreseeable future.

Even then, think about all the clutch matches and how Blessing and Richard have gone. Its not enough to go 1-38 off 10, or 1-18 off 4...at that level and in a clutch game, if you are a premier quick/bowler...you've got to run through a side with 3-4 wickets or more. Think Chris Sole, or Mohammad Naveed from those ill-fated games.

[Googly]

My issue with the regional games starting 9am on Boxing day in Bulawayo means 25 players have to leave Harare on Christmas day to travel 400km and then they put up all those players and support staff in the Nick Singo B&B.

Surely have the games in Harare so perhaps 1 person has to travel from Bulawayo and hire him a limo with two Singo pole dancers to keep him company and still save ZC about 10k.

[Googly]

And how many spots are they looking to fill?
2? 6? What?
I've said before doing well in domestic and potentially in only 2 trial games, or doing badly for that matter is not an indication of whether you can cope at international level.
It supposes that our domestic is strong enough to show it and it isn't. Somebody with an unjaundiced eye should pick the squad and instead of wasting 4 days fucking around in Bulawayo they should be in camp training for the bowlers and the conditions.