Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan | 2nd T20I | 31st October 2025 | Harare

[Googly]

Campbell spent a lot of time benching, but now is off their radar and needs some strong games to get noticed again.
Being the son of the Rhodesian Cabal leader has not helped his cause. Our 3 best batters waiting for a T20 shot are Knackers, Curran and Welch. Frost is really starting to play well, but he's currently more a 50 over and red ball player from what I can see. Technically very good. He's a helluva reaction fielder as well.
I've watched a lot of Curran in T20 in the UK. He likes to paddle, scoop etc and get his runs behind square, its a bit of a default setting, but he's pretty good at it on good days. He's got that pull shot off a ball that's not quite there to pull, which is a really good weapon as well. In my view his game has gone up a notch. He's a good player. I'd like to see how he'd go about a T20 international now.
Welch is a power hitter, one of the very few we have. He's a bit of a slow starter though. He's also improved in red ball, amongst the single figures scores he's had some top knocks, but has failed to convert, he should have at least 2 centuries by now and against good opposition. Watching a guy having to adapt to red ball opening (which he essentially is most times) under extreme pressure is just weird. He's a white ball attacking player. The very opposite of the role he's been given. He's spent months tightening up his game and losing white ball skills.
Knackers will walk into all 3 sides if and when he gets cleared to play, whether he does well internationally remains to be seen. Its next level stuff and not many can do it. Lets hope he adjusts quickly.
The fact that NW hasn't had an extended run in T20 anyone who knows anything knows its wrong. If he's not a better bat than quite a few guys in that T20 side he's wasting his time, it's not a high bar. By the time our senior players have had their fill of World Cups and the money, the selectors are going to have to sacrifice chickens in the hope that there's 4 new players ready to assume their roles. There's 3 ready right now and every year that rolls by that they dont get international exposure they will become lesser players.
Between Madhevere, Marumani, Myers, Munyonga, Musekiwa and Madande they've had more than 250 T20 appearances, with some fairly average results. Of all those games there have been less than half a dozen good innings against really good sides. The selectors have had ample opportunities to see what Curran and Welch can do. If they'd spared them 15 games each we'd have some idea. The fact is we know they won't like the outcome.

For our sakes this should have been a 5 match T20 series. The only thing that forces change is multiple dismal failures in succession.

They're determined to remain with this T20 squad though.
Williams should make his way back. We need him.
Wes may get another shot. There's a place for him, but I dont think it should be in T20.
I hope Marumani is ready for the next game. He needs to kick on from those 50's and find a way of making runs against a top team. If he can't he needs to step aside. I just think he'd be better off down the order in internationals. He's got the skills, but he just can't seem to get it right against the real quality guys.

Im predicting Tari Masakanda will have a good franchise season and throw his name in the hat. He could have been and could still be a good player.

[zimbos_05]

Kind of shitty to have that nice feeling after the test win, and then come back to this format and be so poor. How have we learnt nothing in all this time. We can't keep being a team that lives off 1 win every few months.

[Googly]

Does anyone know who made the complaint to the ICC about what the ZC choir was singing at Castle Corner?

More interestingly, what were they singing? It can't have been very nice if they immediately had to swap them out with the Fentanyl Band.

Anyone who's ever heard them- fans and players alike have loved the atmosphere they created. Was it one or two specific songs? AI mentions it was even directed at some of our own players?
It just shows what a grip ZC and Zanu have that they silence "supporters" in an instant. Turns out they were never supporters after all.
Oh the betrayal

They could of course have just directed them not to sing Kill The Boer and to keep it clean. It must have been pretty nasty if they've had to stop them altogether.

Taps, Kudet? Can u enlighten us what they were saying?
It would be mightily offensive if they were cussing the white players and their black team mates were saying nothing! I hope that wasn't the case.

[AussieZimFan]

With nothing else to lose, they may as well experiment with the team

Bennett
Musekiwa
Myers
Munyonga
Raza
Burl
Madande
Evans
Maposa
Mazakadza
Cremer

[Googly]

Dunno why you think that?
In theory it should be important for Taylor and Marumani to make some runs.
Musekiwa has never opened at club level? Odds of him succeedin at this level are slim, plus a double bitch slap to the better batters watching and shaking their heads....so maybe they will try it
Madande is not a good enough cricketer to be playing at tbis level.

[AussieZimFan]

Taylor is on his last legs. Maru is injured. Why risk them for a dead rubber? I think anything is worth trying than repeating the same mistakes and expecting a different result. I remember when I said Bennett should open in test cricket and I got the same response. Hes never opened in Logan Cup. He's scored 2 test centuries since

[Googly]

I dont think there is any such thing as a dead rubber for us.
Our batters all have something to prove against a world class attack. We dont get to face this quality too often.
Marumani needs time against good bowling. He's not good at it and has a point to prove. Well to the people who know cricket, not the selectors.