Our Test Openers

[Jemisi]

I think Stats should always be taken as +/- 5. If you average 40 then you are definitely somewhere in a range between 35 and 45 allowing for all of those variables that you mention Power.

Obviously the longer the career and the more varied, the more accurate are the stats. So those blokes that have gine beyond 10,000 runs are likely to have averages that need little allowance for other factors.

[masombocricketfan]

Intresting! Well guys i must say you know your players, as for Vusi surely he has done well openning with Tino and we wouldnt want to take that for granted but i am also of the opinion that he should come a little lower than that probably 4/5 that way we will stabilise our middle order with Taibu dropping a little lower. I also think that Tino has started off well, you guys are talking of his strike rate bt i wouldnt worry about that yet. He is giving us the runs and occupying the crease, seing off the ndw ball. Mind you he's just starting in the international arena, lets give him time hes our own Cook. I think Tino should open with Hami, or even put Duffin.

[Jemisi]

Welcome to ZCF

[hhm]

Another question regarding Duffin - what is his fielding like? I haven't seen enough of him lately.

To be honest with you I didn't see many of the ODI games that he played in, but of those that I did watch, at least they included some of his better performances with the bat. As for his fielding, I would say it's not better than Price and our captain Taylor! His fielding looks even uglier when you see it live, but that was at FC level and as Bayhaus pointed out, some of our guys go about it leisurely so that could be what contributed. This is all sometime ago, so now with more mileage and bulk to go, I suspect it's more of the same if not worse.

At times with the likes of Ebrahim&Matsi etc in there, the ring fielding was really world class, but one of the reassons why I was cautious about having lineup which includes Ewing, Duffin, Vermeulen, Hami, Taylor & Price, is that our fielding would be attrocious. However, when I look at how our current team has perfomed - poor ground fielding and catching by the likes of Vusi, Elton & Waller of whom you'd expect more - then I'm no longer that bothered about that considering how far our standars have dropped because I think we're quite possibly the worst fielding side at the moment, worse than even Ban&Ind(who've selected some sharp youngsters of late). Pakistan tried hard to take that honour away from us and failed miserably!

masombo, I think i'll like you. No qualms about a Tino-Duffin opening pair, or even Duffin himself. Welcome. I must warn you, it can get pretty tasty here. Enjoy.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I don't think Taylor is as atrocious a fielder as you've made him out to be hhm. From games where he hasn't been wicketkepper he averages 0.287 dismissals per match. Matsikenyeri, who I agree is a very good fielder, averages 0.330 dismissals per match. That's one more catch for every 23 games played; it's not a vast gulf in class IMO.

It's only been in the last 2 months that I've seen Taylor grass a few easy catches (he's not alone on that front); before that he's been as solid in the field as anyone else.

Having said all that, I reckon Taylor's most suitable position is behind the stumps. We had the discussion a while ago (you can search for it if you're interested) that even though Taibu is considered be most to be the best keeper in the country (and fair enough, I'm not disputing that) Taylor's numbers actually stack up very well in comparison.

On paper the best thing to do in the Test against New Zealand would have been to have Taylor keep wickets as despite having not kept for a while I believe he is clearly the second best wicket keeper in the country (plus he has considerable international experience in the role, which I'm sure you will appreciate hhm). But on top of having the captaincy and being under considerable pressure to produce gems like that 117, I do understand the reasoning behind selecting a specialist wicket keeper and it was probably the right thing to do.

[hhm]

I don't think Taylor is as atrocious a fielder as you've made him out to be hhm....

Having said all that, I reckon Taylor's most suitable position is behind the stumps. We had the discussion a while ago (you can search for it if you're interested) that even though Taibu is considered be most to be the best keeper in the country (and fair enough, I'm not disputing that) Taylor's numbers actually stack up very well in comparison.

On paper the best thing to do in the Test against New Zealand would have been to have Taylor keep wickets as despite having not kept for a while I believe he is clearly the second best wicket keeper in the country (plus he has considerable international experience in the role, which I'm sure you will appreciate hhm). But on top of having the captaincy and being under considerable pressure to produce gems like that 117, I do understand the reasoning behind selecting a specialist wicket keeper and it was probably the right thing to do.

Perhaps I was too harsh on Taylor, and his overall fielding record isn't as bad. But for as long as his purple patch continues, and as a result I rate him quite possibly one of the best batsmen in international cricket right now, then for his equally woeful fielding performances over the same period, I would likewise be fair to grant him similar status in that regard!

Totally agree with you that keeping wicket is his best fielding position.

I can't find it, but I remember that discussion. I think I was of the opinion that strictly a specialist keeper must be blooded in at all times. I've seen Chakabva & Mutizwa, and I don't think they are better than Taylor, if at all, then their batting does not compensate us well enough so Taylor should be the sole reserve for Taibu. In hindsight my views were wrong.

Contrary to you, I don't think sparing him the task was the right thing for the selectors to do. Recently discussions were touting him in the lines of Andy Flower. If he is to hold up to similar comparisons in future, then like Andy, Sanga, Stewart and Dhoni, it should NEVER be an issue. Taibu's done it admirably before. We still lost, so as a captain that second loss on his captaincy record counts for more than even a double hhundred. In a way when weightier matters are analysed it's proper to admit that it was to no advantage. I say that because losing or failing to draw winnable matches under home conditions, can only mean further cleare losses and a captaincy record that can only get worse.

Thankfully Taibu keeps wicket most of the time so he won't need that added distraction.

[Jemisi]

Taylor isn't in the Price class, I don't think. His catching hasn't been great lately, but nor has most of our guys. Getting a settled slip cordon is a really important step we are yet to take.

[FlowerPower]

For those that believe that Tino is too slow, see what VVS has to say about Dravid in his MOTM acceptance speach:

VVS Laxman, Eden Gardens' favuorite. "....Rahul is so calm composed at the other end, he just tires out he bowlers, and allows you to play your shots.

And note playing both Duffin and Tino, may be counterproductive as the other guy at the other end needs to be "playing (his) shots"

[Flower power]

For those that believe that Tino is too slow, see what VVS has to say about Dravid in his MOTM acceptance speach:

VVS Laxman, Eden Gardens' favuorite. "....Rahul is so calm composed at the other end, he just tires out he bowlers, and allows you to play your shots.

And note playing both Duffin and Tino, may be counterproductive as the other guy at the other end needs to be "playing (his) shots"

I am just chaffed at Zim at the moment , we have the right people to match different scenarios .Gone are the days when we would just throw in batsmen because of a good knock . Are selections are slowly moves towards a scenario were we look at conditions . We would now be looking at how well a player can play spin , or deal with seamers , or if we are playing a weak team .....We lacked that for a long time .