Elton Chigumbura has resigned...Or atleast so says Facebook.

[Maweni]

It was announced on a Zim Cricket facebook page with this link: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/sports-5015- ... ports.aspx

[eugene]

Let's hope the news is correct. He needs to focus on his own form.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Good.

Althogh he nay get dropped he's saving his career,
We need to re visit the captaincy issue now.

Who should it be?

Taylor- hot headed but possible
Ervine- cool head but inexperienced. Opposite of Brendan.
Taibu- wouldn't be too bad but it's a big load
prsoper- too meek and has failed before
Price- logical choice but apparently unwilling
Williams- always injured and sooky about something. You think ponting sooks? I bet Sean would set a new benchmark.

could only really be taibu then right?

[eugene]

Maybe the captaincy would make Taibu a mroe responsible batsmen. Not sure why Price is unwilling - I think he would make a good bridge to a more long-term captain such as Craig Ervine. I think Craig Ervine is the long-term answer, although I am not sure if a white captain is on the cards for Zimbabwean cricket these days.

[bayhaus]

Yeah i saw ths as a big sports headline takin the full backpage of the Herald. It also states that it conld be Taylor or Masakadza. If Price is reluctant i think it mayb coz he wants to ENJOY his last few years as an international player and he probably realises that the captaincy may just b ceremonial(?).

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

We are not sinking — Chigumbura
The Standard, Sunday, 24 April 2011 11:42
BY ALBERT MARUFU

Few interesting statements in this report:

Not only is Chigumbura fighting his own loss of form, but he is going to lead into battle a bunch of average inexperienced and “overpaid” cricketers.......

“There is something that you cannot rule out in every sport and that is experience. Players such as Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha should be in the team regardless of their form.....quotes Chigumbura

Chigumbura reckons that the “rich pickings” they are getting from the sport are not in any way affecting the players.....

“Maybe our preparations affected us as we only assembled a week before the tournament and that was in Dubai. I still feel that our preparations had something to do with our performance,” he said.

[richietaylor08]

I personally don't think Price should get the job. He's our most valuable player and we can't afford to risk him doing an 'elton', from wise! Especially with tests round the corner..
Taibu is the guy for the job at the moment, he's done it before, and i think it would make him take more responsibility for his own performances, and play less dodgy sweep shots!
Hamilton would be the second option although he has to be in the team to take up the job..

With that being said, I don't think Chiggs' current form warrants him a place in the playing XI, (when in form he'd be in any day)... Let's hope he gets his form baack, his bowling form too!!

[eugene]

The Zimbabwean players are neither inexperienced or overpaid. Underperforming maybe, but not overpaid.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I absolutely agree with Chigumbura that experience is paramount. In Test cricket we need our experienced Test players (namely Taibu, Price, Masakadza, Taylor and Cremer) to perform in order to have any degree of success. I'm not sure why he's going in to bat for Chibhabha though. Masakadza will make the team on merit (ie. he has runs on the board at international level, he had a bit of a slump, he has bounced back at domestic level) but Chibhabha is not in the same situation. He had a decent Logan Cup, but not good enough to demand automatic selection I wouldn't have thought. I think Chibhabha's a good player and I don't remember ever being surprised or disappointed when he's received national team selection... I think he's Zimbabwe's version of Phil Jaques. He was better than average a couple of years ago and was firmly in the first eleven, but better players came along such as Williams and Taibu which forced him out of the team... not because Chibhabha was bad, but just because others were better.

As for the captaincy, Taibu is by far the most qualified and with the return to Test match cricket imminent he seems like the right guy to lead the team forward. It's far too early to promote Ervine to captain... he needs to sustain solid performances over a period of years before that should even be a consideration. Maybe Utseya as vice captain, as it would be surprising to recall Masakadza after his WC omission and then give him the vice captaincy straight away.

[Conant]

These are Tatenda Taibu’s figures in 136 one day internationals as an ordinary member of the squad between March 2001 and April 2004 and as captain in 2004 until November 22005 when he left for South Africa, then Namibia and Bangladesh

In 54 matches as an ordinary member:
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... e=allround (Av 22)

In 30 matches as captain (one match for the Africa XI included):
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... e=allround (Av 28)

And then, his statics over 52 matches since he returned from his two year sojourn in different countries:
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... e=allround (Av 33)

Career average just under 30, at 29.13