jaybro wrote:
We need to start touring Australia & India even if it's for A Games or ODI's we really need to start exposing the next generation of players to the best on the world not hiding them from being hammered. Maybe if our batsman had faced Starc and Hazelwood in Australia or Ashwin and Jadeja in India they wouldn't so much with Dawlat, Nabi, Hamza and Khan ......
The problem with that is Zimbabwe have repeatedly shown an inability to learn. Or an unwillingness. Take your pick. Probably both.
They haven't learned after 4 series against Afghanistan. Thats 19 games. Even a series with Taylor featuring, ZIM were unable to beat Afghanistan. 5 games against India A or even a state side won't teach them anything 20 games vs Afghanistan has not. Not to mention Starc, Hazlewood, Ashwin, and Jadeja would never play on their A teams. They would coming up, but then they wouldn't have the name factor to inspire the confidence or self belief. But the truth is, if Gulbadin Naib or Dollar Mahmud are running through Zimbabwe, Australia or India A teamers would wreck major havoc. India A has toured ZIM and won the last 10 ODIs in Zimbabwe.
After the 2015 World Cup, there was a pervasive sense that Zimbabwe weren't improving because they didn't get enough matches. Well since that time Zimbabwe have played 41 ODIs...2nd amongst all teams, with only Australia ahead, sitting on 42. By comparison, Afghanistan have played just 24, Bangladesh 21, and Ireland a measley 14. Zimbabwe have only won 11 of those matches. One can only imagine what would happen if they faced mostly South Africa or England.
There is only 1 solution now, and it only has a 5% chance of working. Any other option is 0%.
The ICC has to cut Zimbabwe off. It is more than justified both on performance and governance reasons. Once the money is gone, the theives will disappear. I hope the ICC does the right thing and gives ZC an Associate status and force them to start anew. Afghanistan has shown its physically possible in this era, though incredibly unlikely.
After that, can Zimbabwe build from the grassroots like they did in the 80s? I highly doubt it because in the 80s you still had a lot whites left. There simply isn't enough talent in the Musakandas or the Chataras or the Mumbas to cut it against sides like Afghanistan or Ireland.
I don't see the BCCI pulling their support, but I do see the ICC decoupling the financial revamp from the structural one. At least I hope so. Once the Test and ODI leagues come through, I see no reason why Zimbabwe might avoid relegation to the Intercontinental Cup and World Cricket League come 2021-2022. Ervine and Cremer the only remaining players with the requisite minimum talent will be in their mid 30s by then. Burl may develop, and I hope Musakanda does too, but at that stage he will be a one-man team, even Kohli won't be beating anyone by himself.
In retrospect, Zimbabwe cricket may have been declared dead after the 54 all out, but the original injury was suffered way back in 2013 when Jarvis left. Taylor's departure and Price's retirement before were contributing factors, but the main blow, IMO was when Jarvis quit.
