Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

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Black Mamba
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Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

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Last edited by Black Mamba on Wed Sep 11, 2019 6:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

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Best chance of a win ?
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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

Post by Black Mamba »

Excellent from Williams & Burl.Burl should be now used as an spinner allrounder, his wrist spin improving in every series.Spinners as expected playing an important role.Zimbabwe will have to pay the price for not including Raza & Mavuta.

Chatara's poor show in T20 continue, he should have been dropped after having poor show against seam friendly condition against Ireland

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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

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Not getting too carried away with this win but good to see everyone in the bowling unit doing a good job. BT seemed to anchor the innings & Timmy Maruma went boom at the end.

Bigger tests are only a couple of days away, remember that Zimbabwe has never beaten Afghanistan in a T20I, although they do have a decent record against Bangladesh.
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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

Post by encore »

Great to see Maruma, Mutombodzi and Madziva back. Considering the batting order today, it will be interesting to see how they fit in Regis, Mutombodzi and Burl who didn't bat today. No doubt Maruma was sent in ahead of some of them for his big hitting. Madziva, Chatara, Jarvis and Mpofu look like locks for the first game, with the part-time spinners all pretending to be "frontline". Glad to see Taylor opened the batting, but I suspect he didn't intend to open in the main game with Regis coming in alongside Hami, so this knock might give him and the team other ideas.

I'm not a fan of Burl being used as a bowler or even remotely thought of as an allrounder. I don't think he's competent at rotating the strike or a good runner in the middle overs like a Musakanda or Mutombodzi in the Taibu-Matsi mould. Even SL had the peerless Mahela who was not a big hitter, but competent at strike rotation, but they made him open. Which is why I question the reluctance to make Sean Williams open!!! Hami can be a Pollard/Brathwaite/Symonds! I really don't see a role for Burl to fulfill in this format to be honest. At least in ODIs he had some balls and time to play himself in and got a coupls of good knocks, but he's really struggled in T20Is.

The way things are going, in Burl we might be witnessing Gavin Ewing 2.0 or Greg Lamb 2.0. A perfectly competent top 3 batsman has somehow been told he has a future as a spinner, so must focus on that. I've seen this happen many times with Zimbabwe. Grant Flower had an extremely poor run with the bat and turned into a bowling allrounder. For a couple of seasons Williams unduly hung on to a spot in the squad based purely on some tight overs with his bowling. Prior to that it was Malcolm Waller who seemed to luck a few wickets but got called. Unfortunately Burl may have had a front row seat when that was happening and got some ideas. Except he doesn't have even the slightest credit balance for such patience.

Craig, Williams, Mutombodzi, Taylor(wk), Hami(c), Maruma, Madziva, Burl, Jarvis, Chatara, Mpofu

.

Zimbabweans and BCB XI resume their battles once more
Zimbabweans and BCB XI resume their battles once more
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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

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Good to see Maruma take his chance. Sometimes its easy to look at stats and write somebody off but once you observe some of these guys live you will see that they have potential. I was impressed by Kamunhukamwe Maruma and Ndlovu when I saw them play. I am not saying they are world beaters but definitely better than most people think.

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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

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Maruma is talented but inconsistent. He has the talent to be a quality T20 player

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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

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https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id ... and-rajput
You're the head coach of an international team. You do what you can, within your means and resources, to make the team as good as it can be, but things outside your control lead to the team being suspended from the international game. What do you do then? Lalchand Rajput, the Zimbabwe coach, has what he calls a simple motto: "Be positive, look ahead, and think about what you want to achieve. That's it."

As things stand, the Zimbabwe men's and women's cricket teams are suspended by the ICC. The reason is a spat between Zimbabwe Cricket and the country's Sports and Recreation Commission. The conflict, based on what we know, has been resolved. The ICC decision stands, but if everyone in Zimbabwe plays by the rules, that could change in the not-too-distant future.

The players, of course, have been hit hard, and they have made their displeasure public. Sikandar Raza, the senior allrounder, has been dropped from the squad for the T20I tri-series in Bangladesh - with Afghanistan as the third team - because of disciplinary reasons, while Hamilton Masakadza, the captain, has announced his desire to quit after the series because "with Zimbabwe barred from [ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier in Dubai next month], I feel the time is right to shift the focus to the next generation". It can't be easy under the circumstances, and Rajput admits that it isn't.

ALSO READ: Brickhill - The troubled history of Zimbabwe player unions

"Obviously everyone was worried, because no one knew what was going to happen. The players were disturbed because it came as a surprise. We had just landed in Netherlands [for a white-ball series], and before the first game we got the news. So everybody was worried, understandably," Rajput told ESPNcricinfo. "It was a difficult phase, that tour. But we tried to motivate the players, we tried to … I told the players to leave these things behind, and once at the ground, focus on the job. I think we have overcome that. We want this to be a new beginning for us, I'd say, a fresh start, and I hope we move forward now.

"We will, of course, miss Raza, because he has been one of our better players. But we have to move on, move forward with the players we have. Whatever team we have got, we must utilise to the best potential."

"Yes, things have happened back home, but that's not really in our control. But that's why we have to try and be very positive, look ahead. Hopefully, there is a future, because that's what we are here for"
Fortunately for the team, their trip to Bangladesh wasn't cancelled, and they now have a chance to make a statement in the T20Is in Dhaka before travelling to Singapore to take on the home side and Nepal in another T20I tri-series.

"A lot of eyes are on Zimbabwe cricket - that's what I have told the players. Everyone is watching us, so we have to make sure we do well; if you do well, things will change," Rajput said. "In cricket, the bottom line is performance. It's a good platform for us, that we are getting to play. We have got a nice mix of young and experienced players, and they are hungry. They want to perform, and this is the best platform. So, hopefully, we do well, and do well in Singapore as well."

It should help. After all, bar a 1-1 Test series in Bangladesh late last year, it's mostly been rough going for Zimbabwe since Rajput's appointment was confirmed, in August 2018. They swept UAE 4-0 in an ODI series at home in April this year, but have lost everything else in the format - in South Africa and Bangladesh last year and in Netherland and Ireland this year. And in T20Is, the record is one win and four losses in six matches.

As things turned pear-shaped, first at home and then in the form of the ICC suspension, everything seemed to be in a state of disarray; emotions among players ran high, with questions about the team's - and their - future uppermost in everyone's mind.

While accepting that the circumstances - "not in our control" - made things tough for him and the players, Rajput, whose last gig before joining Zimbabwe was with the Afghanistan team, said he just shifted to what was his "speciality", man-management.

"Yes, things have happened back home, but that's not really in our control. But that's why we have to try and be very positive, look ahead. Hopefully, there is a future, because that's what we are here for. You can't think about the things that have happened. You do, but you have to look ahead too. We must all think of what we are going to do next. My motto is simple: be positive, look ahead, and think about what I want to achieve.

Lalchand Rajput was the coach when Afghanistan achieved full-member status Getty Images
"In international cricket, the mindset is the main thing. A player is judged by the nine inches above his shoulders. If you have a good head, a strong mind, you can conquer anything. Look at Steven Smith. His technique isn't what coaches teach you, but look at the runs he has scored in England. It's because he is mentally strong. That's all the matters. Technique will take you only so far. After that, it's the mindset. It's the self-belief.

"I said that to the Afghanistan players too, and that's what I am telling the players in Zimbabwe. If you have the self-belief, that I can do it in the middle, then you can. As a coach, my job is to give them the self-belief, the confidence. I can give those inputs, what it requires to perform in the middle. After that, of course, it's over to the players. Whatever the conditions and circumstances, you have to have the courage. If you have the courage, you can conquer anything. No backward steps."

In Bangladesh now, Zimbabwe are the lowest-ranked of the three competing teams: 14th, with the home side at No. 10 and Afghanistan three spots higher. Rajput is, however, targeting a final appearance.

"The pressure is on Afghanistan and Bangladesh. We have nothing to lose, and we have to play fearlessly. We have to give our best in every game, and if we can show some self-belief, we can do anything we want on the ground," Rajput said. "We have to reach the final, that's the main thing. We go one game at a time, take stock after each game, and see what we need to do. In T20s, I believe there are no favourites. You do well on the day, and you win. That's what we have seen in T20 competitions. We are as good as any other team in T20s, and if we play to our potential, we can win matches.

"We have a good bunch of players coming through the ranks now, and we have the regular seniors too. This is a transition period for us, and hopefully, we will overcome it, and you'll see a better Zimbabwe team in the near future."

Rajput has just under two years to go on his contract but Masakadza, who took over as captain across formats in February this year, won't be a part of the remainder of Rajput's time with the side.

"He has served Zimbabwe cricket for a long, long time," Rajput acknowledged. "He has been an ambassador for Zimbabwe cricket, he has done yeomen service for us. His performances are right up there, they speak for his skills and ability. As a coach, I have had a wonderful time working with him, and I hope he leaves on a high note. If we can win the final, that would be a perfect farewell for him. That's what we are hoping for."

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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

Post by jaybro »

Interesting to see how Timmy Maruma goes, a very polarising player ever since he hit the scene as a leg spinner come batsman. He seemed to be pushed through ahead of his time for what ever reason and usually to his detriment, like batting No.3 against the Windies in Kingston on a dodgy pitch or opening the batting in a test.

I still remember the crowd jeering him throughout the Pakistan series in 2013, at that time he clearly wasn’t equiped to be batting No.4 but for some reason they kept wheeling him out to face the Pakistani attack & the jeering crowd, no way that helped his confidence.

But now he’s back after a mountain of runs for the Goats & at the matured age of 30 (usually the sweet spot for a batsman) he seems to be playing freely (going off scorecards & reports) & scoring quickly.

After being a massive critic & writing him off completely, I’m happy to see him given another chance, although I’ll be watching with caution given it’s been a long time since I’ve actually seen him bat and the last time I saw him his technique wasn’t very good, although the same has been said about a certain SPD Smith.

Hopefully he does well against Bangladesh because the task of batting @ No.5 against the likes of Rashid, Mujeeb, Nabi, Zahir, Qais or any other spinner Afghanistan trot out will be much like facing the Windies in Kingston or opening in a Test match, a very tough task which might be beyond him.
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Re: Warm Up Game : Zimbabwe XI V/s BCB XI

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I agree with Rajput mindset is everything. How many times have we seen new guys walk in and play a fearless brand of cricket then suddenly look like they cant score a boundary or take a wicket to save their lives after a few months with these senior players.

Remember how PJ and Mavuta played against the proteas? Musakanda first time out hitting boundaries everywhere only for Raza to tell him to calm down and he was out next ball trying to edge it 3rd man? Madziva and Jongwe playing fearlessly then being dropped for years. Murray having decent knocks against Pakistan then disappearing?

I personally dont think we will go anywhere withe these senior players as their mindsets are completely off. The UAE loss tells you all that you need to know about them. All of them. We need to start a genuine replacement process. 1 player a year amongst the batsmen with genuine foreign imports.

For example the money Cremer was getting I would give it to Murray and Musakanda. The money Hami was getting I would give it all to Byrom. In 2 years the money Jarvis is getting you give it to Muzarabani and Matigimu. After the 2021 t20 world cup I think Raza and Ervine have to go. Already start looking for replacements. Welch,Muyeye,Lake. Start talking to them now.

The only "senior players" I wouldnt mind going into the next ODI world cup are BT and Chatara. I thought losing to the UAE would have started a fire in the senior guys to want to prove the world wrong and play with serious intention into their mid 30s but I was wrong. Espically after the Euro tour. I lost all faith

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