Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook status

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sloandog
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Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook status

Post by sloandog »

I have a great deal of respect for Firdose Moonda, ESPNCricinfo's South Africa correspondent - she knows her cricket well and has an obvious passion for the game. However I have to take issue with one aspect of her article this evening written in the aftermath of the Zimbabwe/Bangladesh test series. In it she says that:

" Zimbabwe's squaring of a series does not even put them on the Test rankings. They will need to play a minimum of eight matches in a particular period to qualify. If all their tours go as planned, they will play eight Tests this year and probably take up a position below Bangladesh. That is probably where they deserve to sit."

Aside from the fact that Zimbabwe at present has 266 ICC test ranking points to Bangladesh's 134 (and is only not on the rankings because we have not played the requisite matches) I disagree that Zimbabwe "deserves to sit" below Bangladesh.

On the contrary I think that Zimbabwean cricketers and cricket supporters deserve much better for a variety of reasons. Firstly Zimbabwe is in fact potentially much stronger than this in terms of players which are eligible to play and Zimbabwean coaches. The addition of Tatenda Taibu, Sean Ervine, Craig Ervine and Gary Ballance to the squad would strengthen it massively. This may seem pie in the sky but I use the word "eligible" specifically - all are qualified to play for Zimbabwe. In other words in different circumstances, in different conditions they would all play for Zimbabwe. I am not blind to the fact that Taibu has "retired" and Ballance is hoping to play for England but I have no doubt that all would still play for Zimbabwe if the right conditions were created. Likewise we have such a wealth of cricketing coaching talent in the likes of Andy Flower, Davy Houghton, Duncan Fletcher and Paul Strang who are coaching leading teams elsewhere but who also love Zimbabwe with a passion and want to contribute to the game at home. All who love the game of cricket in Zimbabwe do not deserve the climate which has made these players and coaches look elsewhere. I have no doubt that if this wealth of talent and experience was fused with the superb budding young talents of the likes of Richmond Mutumbami Zimbabwe would become a strong cricketing nation - no longer a so called minnow. That is our rightful place in world cricket.

Secondly even from players who are eligible and available this was not the strongest team we can field. Tino Mawoyo was sorely missed and the selection of a still injured Regis Chakabva over Sean Williams weakened our batting. Williams has the highest first class average by some margin of ALL the current Zimbabwean players (43,1 - see the player averages on the cricinfo site), had a superb 2012/13 season for the Tuskers with an average of over 62 and was one of the few players who did reasonably well batting in the West Indies in his maiden test match. Indeed it simply boggles the mind that he has only played one test for Zimbabwe. The failure to give our best batsman in the West Indies, Craig Ervine, a central contract forced him to choose club cricket in Ireland which pays considerably more than he would have got in Zimbabwe, and seriously weakened the batting line up. It is an astonishing fact that this test team has for both the West Indies and Bangladesh series never had more than one player at a time of Zimbabwe's best first class team and Logan Cup winners for the last 3 years, the Tuskers. Zimbabwe deserves better than this.

Thirdly it is remarkable that our players performed as well as they did given the dearth of international cricket they have played. For example in the run up to this series Bangladesh have played double the number of Tests than Zimbabwe. In fact Zimbabwe went over a year without playing a single international Test or ODI. Zimbabwe cricket certainly deserves better than that.

Finally Zimbabwe's First Class set up is much stronger than Bangladesh's and has a long and fine history. We have not built on that history sufficiently well but with the spread of the game and its broad national character we now have much greater depth than ever before. As demonstrated in the Australia and New Zealand A series in 2011 we can field a relatively strong and genuine A side and this would be even further strengthened if we create conditions which will attract back all Zimbabwean cricketers who are eligible to play or coach for Zimbabwe or its franchises.

So in conclusion whilst we can take many positives out of the test series against Bangladesh the truth is that we can in fact do much better than this - we are in fact a much stronger cricketing nation. I believe that Zimbabwe has the potential to be much better than Bangladesh and even consistently better than sides like New Zealand and Sri Lanka. But we have much work still to do to realise our true potential. That is what all cricket lovers in Zimbabwe deserve.

Respect, David, if you're reading this...respect sir..

We can only dream of a team with the two Ervine's, Ballance and Tatenda Taibu, and a coaching staff of Andrew Flower, Paul Strang as the spin coach, Duncan Fletcher as assistant, Grant Flower as the batting coach, Streak taking the rains with the bowling and Houghton being the team manager. That side, and that backroom staff makes me emotional to think that we could actually have them, ALL of them right now if we sorted our act out. The administrators have crippled our sport, our finances and our young stars to the point where we have become a laughing stock.

A fantastic statement by Coltrat, but one we can only dream of, players we can only reminisce about, filled with 'what if's', and' imagine if'

Boundary
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by Boundary »

This might be the first time a senior sports figure has voiced an ambition to be consistently better NZ and SL. It's certainly an achievable medium term goal, IF we don't screw it up. We might not even need Balance, both Ervines and the coaching dream team to achieve that; but we do need more fixtures. Let's face it, Andy Flower is now an Elite coach, we can't afford him even if he wants to come back. He belongs to the likes of England, India and SA now but there's no reason why Houghton, Heath and Grant can't be involved. Another cheeky point from Coltart: the Test team needs more Tuskers players, by virtue of being an outstanding first class team - controversial!

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eugene
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by eugene »

1. Gary Ballance
2. Tino Mawoyo
3. Sean Williams/Vusi Sibanda
4. Brendan Taylor
5. Craig Ervine/Hamilton Masakadza
6. Tatenda Taibu
7. Sean Ervine
8. Elton Chigumbura/Keegan Meth
9. Shingi Masakadza
10. Ray Price/Graeme Cremer
11. Kyle Jarvis

That is some team.
Neil Johnson, Alistair Campbell, Murray Goodwin, Andy Flower (w), Grant Flower, Dave Houghton, Guy Whittall, Heath Streak (c), Andy Blignaut, Ray Price, Eddo Brandes

sloandog
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by sloandog »

1. Gary Ballance
2. Tino Mawoyo
3. Sean Williams
4. Brendan Tyalor
5. Hamilton Mazkadza/ Sean Ervine
6. Craig Ervine
7. Tatenda Taibu
8. Elton Chigumbura/Keegan Meth
9. Shingrai Mazakadza/Anthony Ireland
10. Ray Price
11. Kyle Jarvis

12th man: Cremer

Dynamite!

This team would be SO competitive, and better than the side we had in 2004 before the walk out. It's got genuine batters, instead of gritty fighters such as Wishart, Carlisle, Gripper and Whittal. It has variety in pace bowling, where as back then there was ever only really Heath Streak who was classed as a threat. Now there's Meth, Cremer, Mazakadza, Price is still there, Jarvis and I've not even got to Vitori, Rainsford or Panyangara.

It's just so ANNOYING that our administrators plague our sport and hinder our chances of success. By now, Zimbabwe would have developed into a strong side had the likes of Bvute, Chingoka and AC been purged a long time ago...

Jemisi
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by Jemisi »

I'd have Ballance at 3 if he was going to play.

samedwards
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by samedwards »

Add Colin de Grandhomme to the mix and imagine what 'could' have been.
sloandog wrote:
The failure to give our best batsman in the West Indies, Craig Ervine, a central contract forced him to choose club cricket in Ireland which pays considerably more than he would have got in Zimbabwe, and seriously weakened the batting line up. [/u]
This is something I seriously don't get. How can a Test-playing Full Member which has hosted Tests, ODIS and T20s not afford to pay more than a club in an Associate country?

Robin
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by Robin »

What are the eight tests (I presume from 4 series)? I know of the Sri Lanka and Pakistan home series but what other Test fixtures are planned?

sloandog
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by sloandog »

Aren't we supposed to be touring Sri Lanka

foreignfield
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by foreignfield »

Boundary wrote:Another cheeky point from Coltart: the Test team needs more Tuskers players, by virtue of being an outstanding first class team - controversial!
Cheeky indeed! Get Moeen Ali in the team, he'll be our very own bearded wonder.

aydee
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Re: Coltrat speaks out, and writes a rather poet Facebook st

Post by aydee »

sloandog wrote:Aren't we supposed to be touring Sri Lanka
Uh oh... Herath 13-95...

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