How good do you think Zimbabwe will ever be at cricket?

[eugene]

I was wondering what other forumites view on this question is. Do you think Zimbabwe will ever be one of the top sides? Or is the best we can hope for to be like New Zealand, a solid performer (particularly at home), but never really winning anything.

What are the thoughts of everyone else?

[sloandog]

That's actually a really good question.

Well even when Streak, Goodwin, The Flower sisters, Johnson, Ervine and co were playing, we were never the kind of team who'd win world cups or Trophys on a regular basis.
I reckon the future, however, is as bright as its ever been. We've got solid foundations in place with our domestic structure which is beginning to feed the national team young talent **cough Keegan Meth cough **, and the coaches are there to nurture it. I reckon at best we'll be like New Zealand for the next 6 years or so, and then we can begin to dream of winning the big competitions. The future is so bright

[eugene]

Once Zimbabwe is on the Meth they will be worldbeaters.

[sloandog]

Once Zimbabwe is on the Meth they will be worldbeaters.

I just don't understand why he's not been given a crack of the wip yet :/

[shumbat]

I think another 3 years of Franchise cricket + international matches we will get there. In the off season we need our top players to go and practice in quality academies and leagues

[wicor]

Sorry for being a wet blanket guys but Zim will always be whipping boys. Even with Streak, Flower etc at their prime Zim was consistently beaten and at times embarrassingly easily beaten. At the minute Zim don't have the pace attack to even consider being a test team. If eventually they do get their status back there will be at least 10 years at the Bangladesh level. Zims first 5 games back in tests will be finished in 4 days!! They might have the occasional good session but going five days and making the opposition bat twice will be the main aim. Maybe in 15 years time Zim cricket might be competitive.

[eugene]

I tend to think that after 10-15 years we might be at the level of New Zealand. I think by then Bangladesh will be well ahead of both teams. I think we tend to forget just how good some of the previous Zimbabwe/Rhodesian teams were relative to the current team. Andy Flower was the best test batsmen in the world and Heath Streak was a top ten bowler, yet despite this we were still whipping boys at best being competitive, but rarely winning a test. How many superstars do we have at the moment? Maybe Ray Price is the only one?

Some of those Rhodesian teams were much stronger than any Zimbabwean team has ever been. Too bad test status wasn't granted in the 1980s.

[shumbat]

Look atn WI, they are not far off from us now, Bangladesh, NZ. Generally i think the level of competion is evening out. OZ losing like that. If we still had our 2000 players by now we could beating and losing to anyone like what Pakistan is doing despite having a talented team. Experience is really our downfall at the moment and the bowlers are less experienced, S Masakadza & Nicolson were not in the squad 5 yrs ago. 3-4 yers playing will give them a lot of experience, to start winning a few matches.

[sloandog]

How many superstars do we have at the moment? Maybe Ray Price is the only one?

Well hang on Eugene, lets just have a look.
Price, yes, superstar, i'm not saying he isn't. He's by far the best bowler in the side, and possibly Zimbabwe.
But there's some serious talent in the side. I reckon Brendan Taylor can now be classed as a superstar, regardless of what he's like off the field. Scoring 145* against South Africa, against a good bowling attack takes some doing. That was a knock that a certain Andy Flower would be proud of.
Hamilton Mazakadza has so much talent ! Oh my god this guy is just what we needed at the top with Taylor. I reckon he's a superstar.
Cremer is a developing star, he's not there yet but give him a couple of years and he'll be at the top of his game 100%

[eugene]

Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza are great players but they are not yet at the top echelon of batsmen. Admittedly it is hard for them to prove themselves when we play top class opposition infrequently and dont play test match cricket at all.