test pace bowlers your choice

[bayhaus]

Against NZ A, the NZ captain singled out Panyangara and they played 2 see him off and he bowled way more overs than every 1 else. Grantd he saw fires @ the WC but i think he will come rite in tests.

[amber88]

Eddy Rainsford absolutely, dude has some serious pace, on the domestic stage, if you snooze all you smell & hear is the leather and the furniture disturbed...but on the international stage eddy chokes up alot of the time...umm but he is worth a shot.

[hhm]

Without doubt Mpofu & Rainsford to share the new ball. Meth is in as the third seamer (allrounder).

Panyangara will be the immediate replacement for either of the two frontmen, with Jarvis, Chatara, Nicholson & Shingi considered next in line after him. Going forward all will depend on form & fitness, but experience upfront is crucial. Meth has the advantage of simply having outperformed this lot and with better batting, so not only is his selection a reward in itself, it's a no brainer due to his statistics.

The reality is, in terms of opening the bowling, taking wickets and maintaining a decent economy - Mpofu, Rainford & Panayangara are proven performers. Bar Chatara & Njabulo who are still to get a run (but will probably turn out to be just as expensive) Jarvis, Nicholson, Shingi & Njabulo are probably quicker than the opening pair, but they also fetch some runs, so we can ill afford to blood them in instantly or simultaneously. It has to be done gradually until they can hold their own and prove to be permanent fixtures. They are risky as first/second change bowlers because if our opening pair can't strike, and I'm certain they will have been hammered along the way, you want damage control instead - which is where the likes of Meth & Mupariwa come into contention ahead of those quicks. Their economy is great and they do strike as well.

What will further slim the chances of the quicks getting the nod is our spinners (and the part-time spinning options). With Ray there already, I suppose one would pick Cremer ahead of considering a fourth seamer (not forgettting Prosper). He's just about as expensive, but you would fancy him picking up a few wickets as opposed to the quicks. Right?

[van der kev]

I would go for Mpofu, Jarvis, and Chatara, then Elton would handy as the fourth. Mpofu has improved a great deal and with more game time he can keep improving. For Chatara, the fact that he was the leading wicket taker last season says something about him and he can be the strike bowler. it is difficult leaving out Masakadza though

[hhm]

It's not for no apparent reason that this form of the game is referred to as a Test. Aart from talent which is a prerequisite, it calls for physical & mental strength coupled with endurance. No doubt some of the options being put forward might give a good account of themsleves, but you simply cannot go about this with myopic vision. The body does not always respond to the desires of one's heart & mind. Of late we have often seen many fast bowlers burst onto the scene, reach their late 30s and when you take a good look into their stats the reality is over their long careers they haven't featured in even half of their countries' Test matches in that time due to injury more so than lack of form (bar perhaps Brett Lee - Tait, Shane Bond & Akhtar belong prominently to that group). A second factor in all of this is the mind. While some fast bowlers are simply electric when they first appear, and over time turn out to be durable, they simply falter under the weight of expectation and responsibility (Mitchell Johnson & to a lesser extent Matthew Hoggard).

What's my point? One needs to take these kind of factors into consideration when choosing test bowlers. You may indeed be able to bowl at 140kph, but can you sustain that kind of speed for long spells across several days in a multiple test series! When the new ball is thrown into your hand and you're asked take the lead for the next test series will you take charge or buckle. In Mpofu, Rainsford (slightly less durable), Panyangara & Meth I can certainly see that they fit a combination of these qualities. I don't have that kind of confidence in the others. I don't see them being a Mohamed Amir.

I would much rather have a player who can only bowl 130kph as opposed to one who does 140kph and constantly is in and out of the team before he decides he's better suited to shorter forms of the game or jodged to be simply not good enough for international cricket. These players need to be managed for the good of their health & careers. In my opinion, if you do go into your first Test with either of the likes of Chatara, Nicholson & Jarvis part of your new ball combination you're bound to have regrets. Shingi requires the same amount of effort and time that went into improving Mpofu, but he's a sure prospect.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Good point HHH,
that's why we need a pool of 4 in rotation so players get adequate rest.
Meth doesn't count he's just a mid pacer.

I'd go mpofu, rainsford, chitara and whoever lights up the early part of the Logan cup

[bayhaus]

Nice on HHm
some good observations here and if peeps like Jarvis is known to have a serious ego problem (read shoaib!) then he may go that route, start being a drama queen hitting other players with bats etc. I think Panyangara is being unfairly regarded and he will come on top over most of the favourites.