Zim’s chance to move up ODI rankings

Participate in discussion with your fellow Zimbabwe cricket fans!
Post Reply
zimfan1
Posts: 6411
Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:45 pm
Supports: MidWest Rhinos
Location: Wales

Zim’s chance to move up ODI rankings

Post by zimfan1 »

Zim’s chance to move up ODI rankings

By Wellington Toni

ZIMBABWE has the chance to climb back into the top 10 in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Reliance Mobile One Day International rankings if they beat Bangladesh at Queens Sports Ground next month.


Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will clash in Bulawayo in five ODIs from 9-18 August. The series in Mutare will be played by the Zimbabwe X1 instead of the senior national team as the game starts on the last day of the series against Bangladesh.
According to last week’s rankings, Ireland moved above Zimbabwe into 10th place with a rating on 23 and Ireland on 26.
This was after Ireland completed a 3-0 series win against Kenya in Dublin, which sees them move above Zimbabwe into tenth in the ICC’s ODI rankings. With players like skipper Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams, Hamilton Masakadza, Ray Price, Tawanda Mupariwa, Keith Dabengwa, Chris Mpofu, Mark Vermeulen, Charles Coventry, Elton Chigumbura, Chamu Chibhabha, among others, Zimbabwe has the chance to clinch the series.
Stuart Matsikenyeri, Vusi Sibanda, Graeme Cremer and Edward Rainsford have also been called up to reinforce the squad an give it competition; for it is competition that will bring the best out of the players.
Former skipper Tatenda Taibu will miss the series after being banned for ten matches after an internal Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) hearing found him guilty of an offence for which he had already been cleared in court.
Ozias Bvute, ZC’s chief executive told Cricinfo on Wednesday that a three-man internal disciplinary hearing called by ZC found Taibu guilty.
Later, a full ZC board meeting on 23 June discussed the situation and it was decided to proceed with the punishment handed down by the disciplinary hearing, as it was “a true reflection of the process”.
“For the record, ZC as an entity does not harbour any ill-feeling towards Tatenda,” Bvute said. “He is a product of our development programme and we have supported his growth from when he was a schoolboy, we therefore have no desire to see him achieve any less than his full potential. It is, however, a premise that he and other players conduct themselves in a manner that is befitting of a national team player and in many cases role model. It is therefore important that discipline is an overriding principal that governs the relationship we have with our players.
This is not the first time that Tatenda has been left off the national squad. He was not a member of the last squad which played against India and the decision was centred on discipline and form.
Zimbabwe has been struggling for lack of game time and last played international cricket against Kenya at the beginning of the year and badly need to get back into both shape and form.
They have been confined to the shorter version of the game because of their well documented problems and need to win this — and the Intercontinental Cup — as it forms an integral part of their eventual return to Test cricket.
But victory will not be easy as Bangladesh has stunned a weakened West Indies side 2-0 in a Test series and whatever the outcome of their ODI series will really not matter — they have made their mark enough to intimidate Zimbabwe. Bangladeshi stand-in captain Shakib Al Hasan led from the front with 96 not out as his side beat the West Indies in the second and final test last Monday and he declared the 2-0 series win was the biggest thing for the cricket side in nine years. Shakib hit the winning runs in style with a six to seal a first ever series win away from home — admittedly against a weakened and inexperienced West Indies side after the senior players boycotted the series over a pay dispute — and the first time they have won two successive tests.
Shakib and Raqibul Hasan made 65 — both career bests — to set things up for the Tigers, as they successfully chased 215 for victory to win by four wickets and claim only their second ever series win.
“In our nine years, this is the biggest thing that has happened to Bangladesh cricket,” said Shakib, who also hit 13 fours in 96 from 97 balls in a little over 2-1/2 hours to make him a shoe-in for the Man-of-the-Match award.
“This series victory will give a boost to our confidence, and will help to take us to the next level, and with God’s help, we shall go forward.
“There was not too much pressure on us (on Monday), since the boys have been playing really, really well. It was a good victory.”
Zimbabwe’s fortunes are also set to increase with the new franchise system coming in next month and even the appointment of former skipper Alistair Campbell as the chairman of selectors.
Extracts from the hearing findings
“Tatenda Taibu, was found guilty by this committee of misconduct. The position is worsened by the fact that the respondent’s defence is based on spurious allegations, which are not worthy of belief at all. Assault, however minor, by an employee on another senior employee is a serious case of misconduct, which ordinarily would attract dismissal from employment. This shows a lack of respect for authority and a negative attitude towards one’s employer . . . he has, however, not shown any contrition for his behaviour. If anything he has shown contempt for his superiors by making unsubstantiated allegations.
In view of the above and the fact we have alluded to that he is a young man with a bright future ahead of him, we find ourselves inclined to tamper justice with mercy and not recommend the ultimate penalty of dismissal which penalty is at our disposal. We therefore recommend to management of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union that, the respondent be suspended from participating in 10 ODI matches with immediate effect.”
]Fixtures
1st ODI: Zimbabwe v Bangladesh
Aug 9 (09:30 local, 07:30 GMT)
2nd ODI: Zimbabwe v Bangladesh
Aug 11 (09:30 local, 07:30 GMT)
3rd ODI: Zimbabwe v Bangladesh
Aug 14 (09:30 local, 07:30 GMT)
4th ODI: Zimbabwe v Bangladesh
Aug 16 (09:30 local, 07:30 GMT)
Zimbabwe XI v Afghanistan at Mutare
16-19 August
5th ODI Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh
Aug 18 (0930 local, 0730 GMT)
Zimbabwe Squad: Prosper Utseya (capt), Hamilton Masakadza, Ray Price, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Mark Vermeulen, Charles Coventry (wk), Vusi Sibanda, Sean Williams, Elton Chigumbura, Chamu Chibhabha, Forster Mutizwa, Keith Dabengwa, Timycen Maruma, Graeme Cremer, Chris Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ed Rainsford, Admire Manyumwa, Trevor Garwe

Post Reply