Chawaguta on Taylor Situation

[zimfan1]

Chawaguta on Taylor (Sunday Mail)

By Makomborero Mutimukulu

TOP order batsman Brendan Taylor will have to prove his fitness and form before being considered for national duty when Zimbabwe take on Bangladesh in a five-match One Day International series next month.

The United Kingdom-based Taylor has expressed an interest to play for the national cricket team again, but coach Walter Chawaguta insists his return will only be on merit.

Chawaguta, who upped the tempo of the national team training camp last week, revealed that he is not making his plans with Taylor in mind just as yet.

"Brendan has indicated his willingness to play, but I don’t think it will be prudent for me to bank on him before I assess his fitness levels. I know he is playing cricket in England, but the question is how competitive is the game he is playing?

"The first thing we have to do is to get the lad here, assess his fitness and see how he fares against some locally based guys who have been doing the business," said Chawaguta.

The national team coach revealed that he is satisfied with the way his lads, including Zimbabwe A players, are getting their rhythm ahead of what he has termed a must-win series against the Tigers.

"The boys are working hard as they appreciate the importance of the series against Bangladesh. Having the Zim A side in camp has also raised morale as the national team players are keen to prove their class to the upcoming lads . . . it’s a good mix," said Chawaguta.

Among the players that Chawaguta has in camp are experienced campaigners captain Prosper Utseya, Tatenda Taibu and Hamilton Masakadza.

Chawaguta, while expressing concern at the lack of international game time for his charges, expressed confidence that his team will turn the tables on Bangladesh after being edged 2-1 in three-match ODI series in the sub-continent at the beginning of the year.

A convincing series win over the Tigers will go a long way in convincing the International Cricket Council that Zimbabwe can play at the highest level consistently and competitively, the national team coach reckons.

"The most unfortunate thing for us is that we do not play as many games as Bangladesh who are coming from a tour of the West Indies. However, we will not be using that as an excuse, we are playing at home and we need to do better than we did when we toured Bangladesh and lost the series.

"More importantly we need a convincing series win to send a message to the authorities that our team has what it takes to play against some of the best teams in the world," said Chawaguta.

Meanwhile, former Zimbabwe A skipper Alester Maregwede has quit his Australian side Roseville and is seriously considering coming back home after receiving an offer from one of the newly formed franchises.

Maregwede, voted player of the year at Roseville in the just-ended season, believes the new contract tabled by the Aussie outfit is not in tandem with his stock after a splendid season with the bat as well as behind the stumps.

"I am quitting Roseville as they haven’t given my management the right deal we were expecting for the 2009/10 season.

"I do have a coupe of offers including a franchise in Zimbabwe that has approached me to come and play in the local league and at this stage my management is waiting for the deal from the franchise," revealed Maregwede speaking from Down Under.

[zimfan1]

SO
o that confirms what Brendon said to me that he is coming back for the Zimbabwe series

Chawaguta should keep quite as remember it is not he the picks the sqaud it is the selectors, who based on past experiance do not involve the coach, it would be madness to ignore Taylor on bases of recent playing standards as he is the only one who has been playing regular matches whilst the rest of the Zimbabwe contracted players have been involved in the about the 100th training camp in the last two years.

Do we really need all these training camps?



Sorry about this guys but Chawaguta has hit a nerve with me here, he is not qualified to be Zimbabwe first team coach as he is definitly not qualified to cast opinions about players that he knows nothing about.

Our only hope is that we can get rid of him ASAP when his contract is up at the end of the year as get in Andy Waller or Heath Streak.

Even Steven Mangongo would be better in my opinion as he seems to have a lot of respect from the likes of Masakaska and Vermeulen particulary on the batting side and has achived very good results with the likes of Zimbabwe A and Easterns.

Brendon Taylor is an Automatic selection whatever shape he turns up in, and to be honest Chawaguta should have more faith in his players to stay in good shape, remember guys if Brendon Taylor is turned away from the sqaud after he turns up in Bulawayo from England his international career will be OVER


Sorry rant over lol

Feel better now

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I agree that Taylor is an automatic selection, but I think Chawaguta is right to say that they need to assess his fitness first. I'm sure it would be standard procedure.

[Detective RDS]

Keeping in mind the heroics and the international playing experience of Brendan Taylor, he is an automatic selection for me also. Examine of match fitness, I reckon is a part of the game, everyone has to participate in it. Every club in England is in the network of ECB. I don't think a question can be asked about the standard of the club.

As far as Walter Chwaguta is concerned, agree with Zimfan1, he is not really a first choice coach being selected for the lack of reserve. But now since the scenary has changed with more players coming back. I think, in the future Heath Streak, Andy Waller or Stuart Carlisle will be the nominates for the head coach job of Zim national side.

[Kopje]

Taylor is automatic selection...

[anusha gamage]

taylor is good player.. zim can win ageans bangaladesh ..with taylor

[bayhaus]

Taylor is an automatic selection....