Zimbabwe’s ‘Emerging’ Squad Mirage: Experienced Players Eclipse Future Stars, Stalling Cricket’s Progress

[jontym87]

Why would you be talking to Bvute? I very much doubt he acknowledged his own shortcomings.
The current hierarchy know exactly how much money he took and yet have made no attempt to recover any of it.
There will be a paper trail a mile long that is there to act upon. Unfortunately we know why there's no action.

Imagine the stress if we had to pick an A side and an Emerging side at the same time!
Is it better to pick experienced players to try and limit the damage? That usually backfires because we often get trounced anyway. We play so little high grade cricket it's almost worth sending capped and fringe players.
It would be interesting to know who picks these teams.

These A side and Emerging side games are generally really disheartening because it exposes our complete lack of depth AND often the stupidity and nepotism (and often racism) of the "selectors".

It also exposes that below the national side level there's not much thought. They go through the motions as a box ticking exercise. There's no real effort to find meaningful solutions.
A big step in the right direction would be an HPC with a couple of quality coaches and not packed with marginal players who will never make the grade as that would be a complete and utter waste of time.
If they can only find 6 guys that are worth focusing on then so be it, but they need to finally get serious about this.


I'm curious how much prep these guys had as a squad.

Surprisingly he did acknowledged his short comings. I was actually shocked he did. I dont have issues with him anymore.

As for the board they are doing the same how do you expect them to act? Mind you its pretty much same board during his time except one or 2 people.

You pointed out a few thought provoking issues there. Personally i feel we have to make tough decision and reap the benefits in the long run. Initially forget about results in the first year of the emerging side, identify and nature talent that can be worked with. Its painful to get trounced day in and day out but looking at the bigger picture you are building something. After a year fuse those emerging players identified with select U19 guys who would have got back from the WC and you have an A side. The remaining U19 guys gets into the emerging side giving them a second chance to prove themselves as cant really judge them by a single WC appearance. They will be mixed with those that failed to make the final squad.

Doing so bridges the current gap we have between U19 and ZimA/First Class .

If you have people with cricketing brains i tell you it doesnt take more than 4 years to develop a good system and Zimbabwe will be competing well on the international stage. But to do so we have to make tough, unpopular and uncomfortable decisions. It will be a long and painful experience but can be done. I mean since 2003 how many good U19 players have we lost just after WC?

[jontym87]

Imagine the stress if we had to pick an A side and an Emerging side at the same time!

Eish, BP off the scale trying to decide which of the two sides our man Roy would captain.

Its nonsense. Its no secret that Roy is like Givemore's first born. That guy is untouchable

[secretzimbo]

So let me get this straight.

One minute you post, quote, ‘only a fool like you would stay put in that sinking ship’.

And then an hour later you are lamenting some u19’s for leaving.

They talk about rats and sinking ships. Well a rat you certainly are Jonathan.

[Pat_Bee]

Tight bowling and sensible low risk batting, punishing the bad balls will pull this back for Roy’s boys. Same as any game ever.

Tune into pitchvison and get behind the boys lol.

[mnelson68]

‘Zimbabwe Emerging’, really? Just who are we deceiving?


A ZIMBABWEAN cricket team, calling itself “Zimbabwe Emerging”, is currently on tour in South Africa, captained by somebody who has played firstclass cricket in the country for 14 years.

Roy Kaia, the 31-year-old skipper of the Zimbabwean outfit, is one of seven players in the touring party who have played Test cricket for their country – the world game’s premier format.

An eighth Test player, 28-year-old all-rounder Luke Jongwe, was also in the original 15-man squad but sadly lost his father on the eve of the tour.

Not to mention a combined multiple caps around the squad in international white-ball cricket.

How incredible is that! Is this because of desperation for results by those in the corridors of power, or there is genuine dearth of real emerging talent in the country? Certainly it is not the latter.

Our selection process must protect the integrity of our teams by picking the right players for each and every representative side. We should not
deceive ourselves by sending seasoned players to play bona fide upcoming players of other countries.

Where are all those gifted boys who have starred for Zimbabwe at the last three Under-19 World Cups? Some teams in the English County Championship Division Two have gladly benefitted from the investment of Zimbabwe, their national body the ECB even looking at the possibility of ancestral connections to cap the best of the ex-Zimbabwean youngsters.

But we cannot be counting our losses forever. Plenty of young talent still remains in Zimbabwe.

Scientifically, sending this largely experienced side on that kind of development tour has effects in the long run.

(1) It is Misrepresentation: It is misleading and undermines the concept of an emerging squad. The purpose of an emerging squad is to provide exposure and opportunities to young and relatively inexperienced players who are on the cusp of breaking into the international arena. By including established players, the squad loses its intended focus and dilutes the developmental opportunities for genuine emerging talents.

(2) Limited Developmental Opportunities: By sending experienced players, Zimbabwe is denying genuinely emerging players the chance to gain valuable match experience and hone their skills against their peers, from whom they will learn a lot because of the high level of cricket they are exposed to in South Africa, a world power. This lack of exposure can stunt the growth and progress of young talents who need these opportunities to develop their game, adapt to different situations, and build confidence.

(3) Stifling Long-term Growth: One of the primary objectives of fielding an emerging squad is to identify and nurture potential future stars who can contribute to the senior national team. By filling the squad with players who have already played international and firstclass cricket for several years, the focus shifts away from identifying and grooming new talents. This shortsighted approach undermines the long-term player development strategy that is essential for a Test nation's sustained success.

(4) Lost Chance for Talent Identification: Emerging player tours serve as an avenue for selectors and coaches to scout and assess fresh talents. If the squad is dominated by experienced players, there is a missed opportunity to unearth hidden gems and promising prospects who could be the backbone of Zimbabwe's cricket future.

(5) Ineffective Use of Resources: Fielding an emerging squad should ideally involve investing resources, time, and effort in nurturing young players who are in the early stages of their careers. Sending experienced players in an emerging squad misallocates resources and does not align with the intended purpose of fostering future talent.

(6) Mismatched Skill Levels: The inclusion of experienced players in an emerging squad can lead to a mismatch in skill levels during matches. Facing established international and first-class players might not challenge the emerging players as much as needed to promote growth and improvement.

(7) Impact on Team Cohesion: Including experienced players in an emerging squad might disrupt team dynamics and cohesion. The mixed skill levels and levels of experience could hinder effective teamwork and communication, which are essential for player development

Zimbabwe's decision to send an “emerging squad” primarily composed of experienced players contradicts the very essence of nurturing and developing emerging talents. It's a shortsighted approach that undermines the long-term goals of building a strong player base and future stars for the nation's cricket team. A more prudent strategy would involve focusing on genuinely emerging players and providing them with the opportunities and exposure they need to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the nation's cricketing legacy.

This is the best post ever , absolutely spot on , big tick

[mnelson68]

Hilarious really. You’ve managed to spend several hours of your life writing some incoherent diatribe about a subject and yet you have managed to offer absolutely zero alternative players.

The other idiot on the other thread ignored me at least 4 times so I’ll try with you too:

Who missed out on this squad but deserved to be in there?

People seem to think we have dozens of amazing young cricketers in our system. We don’t.

Nobody who is:
1) Available
2) Good enough to compete against these SA guys

….missed out on this squad.

Name them. And they have to meet both of those criteria.



You’re a bitter man Jonty and it’s obvious that you’ve struggled greatly to witness some good things happening in ZC. You won’t be happy until Hamilton is fired and that’s it. You are silent every time something good happens but pop up every time there’s the slightest chance to have a dig.

I for one honestly don’t give one flying shit about your personal vendetta about a guy who lives 8,000km from you and I’d suggest finding something better to do with your time than writing really quite poor articles.

So I'm an idiot because I don't agree with your pathetic views ya muppet. I will put together a list of emerging players to keep you happy but you will be dissapointed that there won't be any 30 year old over the hill players named or any of the golden boys either.

[Crastle_cog]

As much as I disagree with a couple of selections, we can't really go the route jonty is mentioning I'm afraid. Guys like roy and luke shouldn't have been selected 100 percent , you can make a case for a couple other doubted emerging players and even 1,2 of the best u19 performers if they were available. However , you just can't pick a squad of just emerging guys, send them to SA, getting hammered 5-0, return. No one will remember the actual results of this series but being competitive is a mindset is something you need to develop as an athlete. We don't have the luxuries to sit on in terms of quantity. In all honesty we aren't India that we'll send our C team somewhere and win easily. India don't send their C team to Zimbabwe in hopes that they're competitive , they know they'll be competitive. You can't expect a guy coming through junior cricket, emerging cricket , A teams etc. to have an abysmal winning record and suddenly magically develop a winning mentality in international cricket. Guys like wes, milton, bennett, clive should be present in every tour as well to have any opportunity they can to better their game. I don't feel the selection was horrendous but it could've been better. Jongwe has been replaced so ideally you only have Roy to put your finger on.

[mnelson68]

Hilarious really. You’ve managed to spend several hours of your life writing some incoherent diatribe about a subject and yet you have managed to offer absolutely zero alternative players.

The other idiot on the other thread ignored me at least 4 times so I’ll try with you too:

Who missed out on this squad but deserved to be in there?

People seem to think we have dozens of amazing young cricketers in our system. We don’t.

Nobody who is:
1) Available
2) Good enough to compete against these SA guys

….missed out on this squad.

Name them. And they have to meet both of those criteria.



You’re a bitter man Jonty and it’s obvious that you’ve struggled greatly to witness some good things happening in ZC. You won’t be happy until Hamilton is fired and that’s it. You are silent every time something good happens but pop up every time there’s the slightest chance to have a dig.

I for one honestly don’t give one flying shit about your personal vendetta about a guy who lives 8,000km from you and I’d suggest finding something better to do with your time than writing really quite poor articles.

Here is a list of 18 players who would benefit greatly and play as actual emerging players.
J.Campbell (Capt) ,M.Campbell, H.Ali, E.Bawa, V.Chirwa, R.Patel, J.Schadendorf, M.Welch, B.Bennett, B.James, C.MacMillan, A.Falao, M.Dube, A.Frost, N.Nungu, P.Chesa, T.Maposa, M.Chimusoro

Don't give me he's unavailable crap , this is merely to show you that the country would benefit more by giving these guys experience. You have to start somewhere , doesn't matter if they get beaten, the others who are playing at the moment are doing that anyway.

[Crastle_cog]

Hilarious really. You’ve managed to spend several hours of your life writing some incoherent diatribe about a subject and yet you have managed to offer absolutely zero alternative players.

The other idiot on the other thread ignored me at least 4 times so I’ll try with you too:

Who missed out on this squad but deserved to be in there?

People seem to think we have dozens of amazing young cricketers in our system. We don’t.

Nobody who is:
1) Available
2) Good enough to compete against these SA guys

….missed out on this squad.

Name them. And they have to meet both of those criteria.



You’re a bitter man Jonty and it’s obvious that you’ve struggled greatly to witness some good things happening in ZC. You won’t be happy until Hamilton is fired and that’s it. You are silent every time something good happens but pop up every time there’s the slightest chance to have a dig.

I for one honestly don’t give one flying shit about your personal vendetta about a guy who lives 8,000km from you and I’d suggest finding something better to do with your time than writing really quite poor articles.

Here is a list of 18 players who would benefit greatly and play as actual emerging players.
J.Campbell (Capt) ,M.Campbell, H.Ali, E.Bawa, V.Chirwa, R.Patel, J.Schadendorf, M.Welch, B.Bennett, B.James, C.MacMillan, A.Falao, M.Dube, A.Frost, N.Nungu, P.Chesa, T.Maposa, M.Chimusoro

Don't give me he's unavailable crap , this is merely to show you that the country would benefit more by giving these guys experience. You have to start somewhere , doesn't matter if they get beaten, the others who are playing at the moment are doing that anyway.

Bawa just came back to Zim. Played only 3 games.
Ronak Patel has school. Won't be available.
Matt Campbell hasn't played a professional game yet, surely you need to prove yourself a bit first.
Schadendorf also hasn't played enough.
Matt Welch is in the UK and had an injury for a good part of the last two years.
James has just only started to show some grit in the NPL
Frost is playing in Ireland
Chimusoro idk enough of.
The others I could make a case of in some capacity.
Maybe 1 or 2 of the rest of the guys mentioned.

[secretzimbo]

Here is a list of 18 players who would benefit greatly and play as actual emerging players.
J.Campbell (Capt) ,M.Campbell, H.Ali, E.Bawa, V.Chirwa, R.Patel, J.Schadendorf, M.Welch, B.Bennett, B.James, C.MacMillan, A.Falao, M.Dube, A.Frost, N.Nungu, P.Chesa, T.Maposa, M.Chimusoro

Don't give me he's unavailable crap , this is merely to show you that the country would benefit more by giving these guys experience. You have to start somewhere , doesn't matter if they get beaten, the others who are playing at the moment are doing that anyway.

J.Campbell (Capt) - IN THE SQUAD AND IS INJURED
M.Campbell - Has never played a professional match and I guarantee you have never watched him play in your life.
H.Ali - Potentially one day, but would struggle at this level atm - nowhere near ready.
E.Bawa - At uni in England. Back temporarily and has played 1 match in 2 years. Ridiculous selection.
V.Chirwa - His bowling action is still literally banned in international cricket by the ICC. Do you want him to go as a specialist bat?
R.Patel - Literally a schoolboy, at school.
J.Schadendorf - Maybe, but tbh probably isn't good enough - and yes I've seen him play a lot, including in-person in Leicestershire club cricket.
M.Welch - Literally in the UK. And has been injured for two years solid. Wtf.
B.Bennett - Is in the fucking squad already
B.James - Has never played a pro game in his life, probably isn't good enough, and if he was black you'd never have heard of him - guaranteed.
C.MacMillan - Literally a schoolboy, at school.
A.Falao - Maybe, yes.
M.Dube - Not good enough.
A.Frost - Currently busy playing in Ireland and actively wants to play for Ireland, not Zimbabwe. Are you going to kidnap him and drag him out to the middle?
N.Nungu - Not good enough.
P.Chesa - Maybe, yes.
T.Maposa - Is in the fucking squad already
M.Chimusoro - Literally a schoolboy, at school.

You made me wait 4 days for an answer, and just a shame it's such a disappointing one. But I expected nothing else.
I'm pretty sure you've never watched most of the above even play before.

Internet scorecard warrior