ZCF Hapless XI

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Mupariwa was okay. He has reasonable numbers against everyone except South Africa, and it's not like he got the chance to stat pad against Seychelles and Nigeria. https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engin ... e=allround

A lot of very harsh inclusions in this thread. We've had so many passengers over the years to choose from before guys like Masvaure (higher Test average than Vermeulen), Mupariwa or Moor (Test avg 35 for Zim) enter the frame. To be fair, I don't reckon anyone who has an international 50 or 4-fer is hapless, it means at some point they made a valuable contribution.

[eugene]

Those names really do highlight how shit some of the players have been for us. I think Piet Rinke and Greg Strydom should be added somewhere. They were particularly poor cricketers and did very little when given the opportunity.

Neither Rinke or Strydom played in the ZCF era. All of Piet Rinke's appearances were in 2006 - I thought he was around for a few seasons given how well I remember him, but I guess not! Strydom also only played for Zimbabwe in 2006, although he did play for the Cayman Islands in 2019. The period of 2004-2006 was when we really saw a lot of questionable picks, by the time 2007 came around we were relying on talented younger players like Williams, Taylor, Chigumbura, etc.

[eugene]

It must the ultimate insult to Dabengwa that he didn't even make the starting XI of your hapless team

Ha! You remember my dislike of Dabengwa! Dabengwa was mostly poor but he had a few career highlights. Matsi was another one I never rated but again he had a few highlights that lifted him above the hapless level. Matsi ultimately had the talent for international cricket, he was just thrown in much too soon and for too long. People like Rinke or Strydom should've never been anywhere near international cricket.

[eugene]

1-Brian Chari
2-Cephas Zhuwao
3-Richmond Mutumbami(WK)
4-Timycen Maruma
5-Greg Lamb
6-Keegan Meth
7-Tawanda Mupariwa
8-Wellington Masakadza(C)
9-Carl Mumba
10-Tafadzwa Kamungozi
11-Liam Roche

Tinotenda Mutombodzi is another notable performer who shouldve been in my hapless XI but I prefer all rounders like Greg & Keegan.

It was a battle between Natsai Mushangwe & Kamungozi for the leg spinner spot but I remember how Gayle smashed Kamungozi in the 2015 world cup enroute his 200

C'mon china, Wellington Masakadza shouldn't be in this conversation. Same goes for Mupariwa, he was 2nd fastest to 50 ODI wickets behind Streaky if I'm not mistaken.

Here's mine:

1. Brian Chari
2. Cephas Zhuwao
3. Brian Mudzinganyama
4. Timycen Maruma (c)
5. Friday Kasteni
6. Ryan Murray (wk)
7. Greg Lamb
8. Keegan Meth
9 Tafadzwa Kamungozi
10. Ian Nicolson
11. Liam Roche

- Nicolson had a bit of pace though. Shame he didn't have the accuracy to go with it.

EDIT: I had included PJ Moor initially, but replaced him with Friday Kasteni. Moor shouldn't be in this convo tbh.

A bit harsh on Greg Lamb and Keegan Meth - they were both solid. Does anyone else remember that infamous ZCF member hhm was obsessed with Greg Lamb? Was always one of the first names on his team sheet.

[CrimsonAvenger]

Cephas Zhuwao
Tafadzwa Mufambisi
Roy Kaia
Timycen Maruma (C)
Keith Dabengwa (VC)
Friday Kasteni
Liam Roche
Tafadzwa Kamungozi
Taurai Muzarabani
Charlton Tshuma
Ian Nicolson

12th Man: Trevor Garwe

[eugene]

I guess if you do a Hapless XI from any era you could get this:

1. Piet Rinke
2. Cephas Zhuwao
3. Prosper Utseya (c) (post-bowling ban)
4. Timycen Maruma
5. Greg Strydom
6. Alester Maregwede (w)
7. Gary Martin
8. Richie Sims
9. Angus Mackay
10. Waddington Mwayenga
11. Ujesh Ranchod (his only wicket was Tendulkar!)

[ZIMDOGGY]

1-Brian Chari
2-Cephas Zhuwao
3-Richmond Mutumbami(WK)
4-Timycen Maruma
5-Greg Lamb
6-Keegan Meth
7-Tawanda Mupariwa
8-Wellington Masakadza(C)
9-Carl Mumba
10-Tafadzwa Kamungozi
11-Liam Roche

Tinotenda Mutombodzi is another notable performer who shouldve been in my hapless XI but I prefer all rounders like Greg & Keegan.

It was a battle between Natsai Mushangwe & Kamungozi for the leg spinner spot but I remember how Gayle smashed Kamungozi in the 2015 world cup enroute his 200

C'mon china, Wellington Masakadza shouldn't be in this conversation. Same goes for Mupariwa, he was 2nd fastest to 50 ODI wickets behind Streaky if I'm not mistaken.

Here's mine:

1. Brian Chari
2. Cephas Zhuwao
3. Brian Mudzinganyama
4. Timycen Maruma (c)
5. Friday Kasteni
6. Ryan Murray (wk)
7. Greg Lamb
8. Keegan Meth
9 Tafadzwa Kamungozi
10. Ian Nicolson
11. Liam Roche

- Nicolson had a bit of pace though. Shame he didn't have the accuracy to go with it.

EDIT: I had included PJ Moor initially, but replaced him with Friday Kasteni. Moor shouldn't be in this convo tbh.

A bit harsh on Greg Lamb and Keegan Meth - they were both solid. Does anyone else remember that infamous ZCF member hhm was obsessed with Greg Lamb? Was always one of the first names on his team sheet.

Wasn't it Duffin he had the obsession with?

[eugene]

Hhm did like Duffin too. There were three, and only three white guys he liked - Greg Lamb, Gavin Ewing, and Terry Duffin.

[Andy31]

Hhm is a name I haven’t thought about in a while.
Almost need a past players day of forum members.

[zimbos_05]

C'mon china, Wellington Masakadza shouldn't be in this conversation. Same goes for Mupariwa, he was 2nd fastest to 50 ODI wickets behind Streaky if I'm not mistaken.

Here's mine:

1. Brian Chari
2. Cephas Zhuwao
3. Brian Mudzinganyama
4. Timycen Maruma (c)
5. Friday Kasteni
6. Ryan Murray (wk)
7. Greg Lamb
8. Keegan Meth
9 Tafadzwa Kamungozi
10. Ian Nicolson
11. Liam Roche

- Nicolson had a bit of pace though. Shame he didn't have the accuracy to go with it.

EDIT: I had included PJ Moor initially, but replaced him with Friday Kasteni. Moor shouldn't be in this convo tbh.

Think you are being harsh on Murray. He was not hapless. He definitely had some talent or glimpses of it. He just didn't actually get a chance to prove whether he was good enough or not. He stopped too early to pursue other ventures.