Where to from here?

[eugene]

I know doing these postmortem threads right after a dismal loss and elimination is a bit knee-jerk, but I will proceed anyway.

This team really has no excuses. They have played plenty of cricket, have an all-star coaching lineup, and have plenty of experience playing international cricket. The stark reality is that this team just isn't very good and competing with second-tier associates is about our level. This is a team where losing is a culture and there is no ability to win crunch games.

So with this being the reality, where do we go from here? Keep persisting with the same guys and just holding out for the occasional victory? Blowing everything up and starting again, but being open to the possibility that we could endure years of hammerings?

I don't think either option is really all that great. I am, along with others I am sure, in favour of a deliberate phasing in of young cricketers, let's even call it a quota system!
In the starting XI you could have a core of 6 or 7 seniors, with the other spots being reserved for young players. This will create competition among both the senior players who seemingly never get dropped, and also provides a realistic opportunity for young players. If we are honest, playing a few weeks of Logan Cup cricket really doesn't tell us much about a young player - the pitches are bad, the umpiring is bad, the motivation is lacking among many players, it is essentially boozers league stuff. I would rather throw Ryan Burl, Carl Mumba, Richard Ngavara, etc into international cricket and see what they can do than have them toiling away on a crappy wicket in Masvingo in front of 5 spectators.

Thoughts?

[Googly]

Ordinarily heads would roll, but Atapatu and Ntini are brand new, so they will stay. Dav has presided over a terrible period, but it's hard to blame him, but blame him I'm sure they will. I wonder what his contract says?
Everyone is too quick to blame the coaches, in my view. Dav has a good pedigree and has had success with tricky teams so it will be tough to lay the blame on his doorstep, but as I said, they may well try.
Plus we are going into our off season. I'm not sure what's coming up for our national side, but I recall they are quite busy.
People want to see foreign coaches fail, then others want to see the local guys fail so it's a bit of a hamster wheel. Others want to see the black guys fail and yet others want to see the white boys make a mess. It's all old news.
The one thing that is a constant is that we won't succeed with the current admin, not in this lifetime.

[eugene]

I am as tough on the current admin as anyone. But would the talent level of our existing players really be any better with different admin? We may have not lost some players who were more talented with better admin, but I think Sean Williams would still be inconsistent, Panyangara lazy, and Malcolm, well Malcolm.

[sloandog]

A few things hit me in the three matches I watched in the past week or so.

First and foremost, there seems very little will to fight. Sean Williams, genuinely, and along side Mazakadza Junior, seem the only two players who have a bit of spunk about them, a but of anger and ecstasy when they get a wicket. Panyangara is muted, Chatara bowled well i thought over all but was horrendous today, and Tiripano looked out of his depth. There is pace in our FC system, people on ground zero have wittnessed it for themselves. Give them a chance, and throw away some of the dead wood.

Secondly, we have a very thick, dim and (it seems) uneducated set of players. Mutumbami has now been caught three times on the longest side of the boundary, trying to clear the ropes. Waller for some reason cocooned himself into submission as if he was about to shit himself if he picked his bat up. Mazakadza was run out twice. Sibanda, again, caught on the hook with two men back. It screams stupidity and a lack of focus. Yea, in fact that's a good way of putting it, a lack of focus. Every bowler today in the crunch overs bowled far too many bad deliveries; Chatara at the end was god awful with all those long hops and slow half volleyes, and Don was even worse. Mazakadza, who i now rate and who's talent is silly to deny, bowled poorly i thought (in this game). Too many short balls he got away with.

The fact here is this; these guys no longer seem to relish the chance to play on such a big stage anymore. In the past, even as recently as the 2015 WC, there seemed to be a sense of belief and determination. Guys were racking up scores against South Africa, nearly beating Ireland and Pakistan, but since then it's gone down hill quickly.

What's next Eugene? Here's what I suggest.

1. Get rid of Richmond Mutumbami for good. He is not a tight and tidy keeper, he has poor concentration levels, his body language is appauling and his batting is much to be desired. You have a kid in Moor who, although he may not be a first rate keeper, wants to be there, wants to win and wants to do his country proud. No doubt Richie does, but until he actually illustrates this I don't want to see him behind the stumps. There's even guys like Gumbie and Murray in the country, no doubt pining for a chance.

2. Sibanda. I rate him, i do. But, how many chances are we giving this man. When is the time to call quits on a very inconsistent career? Now? Maybe. Give Burl the opening spot, and give it him for good.

3. The overall attitude needs to change. It's very obvious that many if not most are there for a pay check. There's just, it seems, no will or desire to win. I mean we needed to go all guns blazing today, and both Mazakadza and Sibanda failed to hit a boundary in the first three overs. What's all that about? Either win or die trying, do play all these little lesbian sweeps and dabs. Be like Shazad, be cocky, arrogant and throw your weight around and say,' yea, fuck you, I deserve to be here, I come from a country with 24 years of test history, I'm better than you,' and pick a fight with someone. Get angry, show some balls. When I play my cricket I'm like this; I get angry and it helps.

4. The board needs to change...can't be bothered going into this.


Just overall sad and depressing few days, highlighting all the flaws that we as Zimbabweans and Zimbabwe fans knew were there, only now they've been illuminated for the entire cricketing world to bear wittness to. I'll always support the boys, but my enthusiasm to follow is waning

[jimmylesaint]

It is simple
1)Change the entire admin---sack them all. Rehire new admin and they are answerable to the sports minister only.
2)Let the current admin keep stealing until Zim is kicked out of ICC. Then game over and the thieves will move on to some other cash cow fest, or retire to their collective 6farms, 3 houses in different countries.

The more likely will be 2)

You cannot have 7 people eating up over a MILLION dollars a year in salary and only working 3months a year maximum!!!!!!!!!!!
1)Mangongo $10k--what does he do when no U19 games?
2)Chawaguta $10k ---what does he do??
3)Singo $10k---what does he do???
4)Lupepe $10k---
5)Mukondiwa $15k
6)Anesu Kafesu $8k
7)Hondo $8k

I'm afraid since Manase has gone, he was our last hope, things looked bright. Now the whole system is infested with grubby little parasites.
As i said before it is a colonial game brought to Zim and held up in National pride historically by the children of these imperialists most of them white. It isn't a black mans sport and we are more interested in kicking a plastic packet football around then hitting a tennis ball with a stick.
Nothing derogatory meant to whites or blacks, simply a majority black African team cannot compete and never has been able to, apart from a few lucky wins.
White men can't Jump.
Black men can't play cricket.
Move on and forget cricket ever existed in Zim, plus we have our new sport, "how to be the most corrupt person in the world".

[zimstarr]

Vusi is 33 he simply isnt good enough this time his fancy drives wnt save him he let a ball go for 4. chigumbura is frustrating . masakadza isi simply not good enough to face the new ball . mutumbami is just mediocre the worst batsman i have seen @3 he is a genuine number 9 . craig ervine should open for zim in t20 with chibhabha

[Flakeman]

There needs to be a loss of Full Membership. Bottom Line. That will get rid of the thieving pigs at ZC as there will be no cash. Turn Zim into an associate and start afresh. We are getting embarrased by Afghan all the time. Afghan. We cant do any worse lads. We really cant. Start up a new organisation and try again or just simply forget cricket in the country. What a way we have coke since Rhodesia. Stay tuned to watch SA follow suit in 10 years.

[zimstarr]

Mutumbami fixed his dismisals

[eugene]

South Africa will hang in there better than Zimbabwe due to the sheer number of people and much wider pool of talented players. Zimbabwe has always needed everything to function perfectly to be competitive in international cricket.

[totoro]

Play Murray in all three formats, and Ives & Burl in the two shorter formats.

Hamilton (c)
Burl
Craig
Ives
Williams
Murray (wk)
Jongwe
Cremer
Chatara
Wellington
Chisoro

12th man: Madziva
13th man: Moor