If zimbabwe resumed playing tests tommorow my pace bowlers would be Rainsford,Mahwire, Brent, Chigumbura....If we only had to play one spinner his name would be none other than ray price
despite mahwire's poor one day form he is an exellent first class player and would be automatic in my squad
test match bowlers
Re: test match bowlers
well Mpofu would be my first choice opening bowler with Chigumbura opening with him they both have a little pace and mpofu gets good bounce with his hieght well chigumbura is a bit like dwayne Bravo of the west Indies and can tie up and end and get breakthroughs...but TBH none of our seamers are world class so we would have to reliy mostly on spin Price Utseya and Creamer.
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Re: test match bowlers
I agree with zulu, a bowling attack of Rainsford, Mahwire, Brent and Chigumbura would get hammered. We have to rely mainly on our spinners.
I would go with Mpofu and Chigumbura as our opening bowlers for the same reason. They have a bit of pace about them. Both are up around that 135 mark.
I'd also play Brent as he can really tie up an end and even take a few wickets too.
Then the spinners, we should play 2 or 3 of Price, Utseya, Cremer and Maruma in every match I think.
The batting is pretty good, I think it matches any other of the lower ranked Test countries. As long as our bowling clicks, we should be able to at least be competitive.
I would go with Mpofu and Chigumbura as our opening bowlers for the same reason. They have a bit of pace about them. Both are up around that 135 mark.
I'd also play Brent as he can really tie up an end and even take a few wickets too.
Then the spinners, we should play 2 or 3 of Price, Utseya, Cremer and Maruma in every match I think.
The batting is pretty good, I think it matches any other of the lower ranked Test countries. As long as our bowling clicks, we should be able to at least be competitive.
Re: test match bowlers
I am not sure I can think of 4/5 bowlers I would definately have in the team. Ray Price is an automatic selection and I would also choose Gary Brent but other than that all the others are much of a muchness and it doesnt really matter which ones are selected. Ray Price is our only world class bowler in the longer form of the game at the moment I feel.
Neil Johnson, Alistair Campbell, Murray Goodwin, Andy Flower (w), Grant Flower, Dave Houghton, Guy Whittall, Heath Streak (c), Andy Blignaut, Ray Price, Eddo Brandes
Re: test match bowlers
mpofu got a bit of a hammering v. Pakistan so i wouldn't play him. supposedly Rainsford was groomed especially for the longer version of the game so i would give him a run. chigumbura is an automatic and i guess Brent is also in spite of the fact he may not take too many wickets. pace wise it looks very thin on the ground, as regards to spin we are fine but i doubt the seamers would take 20 wickets which they would have to if it wasn't a spinning track.
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Re: test match bowlers
At this moment,Raymond Price is the only world class test bowller of Zimbabwe I do feel also.While Mupariwa and Rainsford along with Elton Chigumbura is doing well in the ODI format.The spin department of Zimbabwe which is lead by Price,I think is more strong than the pace department.
The spinners will definitely play a great role in the spinning tracks.But Zimbabwe will face some problems like:
1.In the pacy and bouncy tracks like the tracks in South Africa,Australia,England,New Zealand the pacers have to do the major job of taking most of the wickets.
2.There is no strike bowller in the Zimbabwean line up.This role was performed by Heath Streak.But now he has left the team and he has left his county team Warwickshire also.He has lost his pace and failed to take wickets for his county team with 11 wickets at 62 in the County Championship 2007.He then joined ICL which indicates that he has quit his international career totally.He didnt hv a good ICL season either having 13 wickets in 14 matches averaging 27.38,economy 8.6,best 3/23.It is high time that this role should be performed by Mupariwa or Rainsford or Mahwire.
3.The pacers dont have an extreme pace.Only Elton Chigumbura and Christopher Mpofu is around the 135 mark.From the cricinfo website I found that Trevor Garwe is a right arm fast medium bowller which means that he has a good pace.But its also said that,a lot has to be done to correct his accuracy.He should be made prepared for playing international cricket.
Well,if Zimbabwe is to play a test tomorrow my test bowllers will be according to the line up:
7.Elton Chigumbura (Match 6,Runs 187,Ave 22.50,Best 71,1X50,Wkts 9,Ave 55.33,Best 5/54)
8.Graeme Cremer (Match 6,Runs 29,Ave 2.63,Best 12,Wkts 13,Ave 45.76,Best 3/86)
9.Blessing Mahwire (Match 10,Runs 147,Ave 13.36,Best 50*,Wkts 18,Ave 50.83,Best 4/92)
10.Raymond Price (Match 18,Runs 224,Ave 9.73,Best 36,Wkts 69,Ave 35.86,Best 6/73)
11.Tawanda Mupariwa (Match 1,Runs 15,Ave 15,Best 14,Wkt 0,Ave -,Best -)
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Backup pacers:
Edward Rainsford (DEBUTE)
Christopher Mpofu (Match 6,Runs 17,Ave 2.83,Best 7,Wkts 8,Ave 69.50,Best 4/109)
Backup spinners:
Keith Dabengwa (Match 3,Runs 90,Ave 15,Best 35,Wkts 5,Ave 49.80,Best 3/127)
Prosper Utseya (Match 1,Runs 45,Ave 22.50,Best 45,Wkt 0,Ave -,Best -)
I will play with 3 pacers(Mupariwa,Chigumbura,Mahwire) and 2 spinners(Price and Cremer).There will be part-time spinners also from the batting likes of Williams and Matsikenyeri.
PACE BOWLLING:
I will open the bowlling with Mupariwa and Chigumbura.Mupariwa is the fastest Zimbabwean to take 50 wickets in ODIs.Chigumbura is the fastest Zimbabwean pacer and can get some benefit from his height.
Blessing Mahwire is my first change.While it was a difficult decision to make as there were also Rainsford and Mpofu.But I picked up Mahwire especially for his experience and 18 wickets in 10 tests isnt bad at all.Mahwire has some notable performance from the latest test appearance of Zimbabwe like his career best 4/92 vs India 1st test 2005 and 3/121 vs NZ in 2005.
Edward Rainsford and Christopher Mpofu is the pace backups.But Rainsford will be infront of Mpofu for his ODI consistency and his domestic record which is better than Mpofu.
SPIN BOWLLING:
Spin bowlling attack will be lead by experienced Raymond Price.From his statistics its cleared that he is a world class bowller.Graeme Cremer is the second spinner as he has some experience of playing in the test format.13 wickets in 6 tests is good.
Then Zimbabwe can use part-time spinners likes of Sean Williams and Stuart Matsikenyeri.Williams has 9 wickets in 26 ODIs and Matsikenyeri has 14 wickets in 79 ODIs.
The backup spinners r Keith Dabengwa and Prosper Utseya.I havent picked Utseya as he isnt consistent in picking up wickets despite maintaining a good economy rate in ODIs.Keith Dabengwas last 3 test innings bowlling figures r 2/87 vs NZ 2nd test 2005,
3/127 vs IND 1st test 2005 and 0/35 vs IND 2nd test 2005.Keith Dabengwa will be straight into the 11 if any batsman cant perform.
This is the current bowlling attack of Zimbabwe.ZC should at least try to contact with Blignaut,Panyangara and Ireland to get them back in order to make the pace bowlling attack more strong but I know its not going to happen really.
The spinners will definitely play a great role in the spinning tracks.But Zimbabwe will face some problems like:
1.In the pacy and bouncy tracks like the tracks in South Africa,Australia,England,New Zealand the pacers have to do the major job of taking most of the wickets.
2.There is no strike bowller in the Zimbabwean line up.This role was performed by Heath Streak.But now he has left the team and he has left his county team Warwickshire also.He has lost his pace and failed to take wickets for his county team with 11 wickets at 62 in the County Championship 2007.He then joined ICL which indicates that he has quit his international career totally.He didnt hv a good ICL season either having 13 wickets in 14 matches averaging 27.38,economy 8.6,best 3/23.It is high time that this role should be performed by Mupariwa or Rainsford or Mahwire.
3.The pacers dont have an extreme pace.Only Elton Chigumbura and Christopher Mpofu is around the 135 mark.From the cricinfo website I found that Trevor Garwe is a right arm fast medium bowller which means that he has a good pace.But its also said that,a lot has to be done to correct his accuracy.He should be made prepared for playing international cricket.
Well,if Zimbabwe is to play a test tomorrow my test bowllers will be according to the line up:
7.Elton Chigumbura (Match 6,Runs 187,Ave 22.50,Best 71,1X50,Wkts 9,Ave 55.33,Best 5/54)
8.Graeme Cremer (Match 6,Runs 29,Ave 2.63,Best 12,Wkts 13,Ave 45.76,Best 3/86)
9.Blessing Mahwire (Match 10,Runs 147,Ave 13.36,Best 50*,Wkts 18,Ave 50.83,Best 4/92)
10.Raymond Price (Match 18,Runs 224,Ave 9.73,Best 36,Wkts 69,Ave 35.86,Best 6/73)
11.Tawanda Mupariwa (Match 1,Runs 15,Ave 15,Best 14,Wkt 0,Ave -,Best -)
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Backup pacers:
Edward Rainsford (DEBUTE)
Christopher Mpofu (Match 6,Runs 17,Ave 2.83,Best 7,Wkts 8,Ave 69.50,Best 4/109)
Backup spinners:
Keith Dabengwa (Match 3,Runs 90,Ave 15,Best 35,Wkts 5,Ave 49.80,Best 3/127)
Prosper Utseya (Match 1,Runs 45,Ave 22.50,Best 45,Wkt 0,Ave -,Best -)
I will play with 3 pacers(Mupariwa,Chigumbura,Mahwire) and 2 spinners(Price and Cremer).There will be part-time spinners also from the batting likes of Williams and Matsikenyeri.
PACE BOWLLING:
I will open the bowlling with Mupariwa and Chigumbura.Mupariwa is the fastest Zimbabwean to take 50 wickets in ODIs.Chigumbura is the fastest Zimbabwean pacer and can get some benefit from his height.
Blessing Mahwire is my first change.While it was a difficult decision to make as there were also Rainsford and Mpofu.But I picked up Mahwire especially for his experience and 18 wickets in 10 tests isnt bad at all.Mahwire has some notable performance from the latest test appearance of Zimbabwe like his career best 4/92 vs India 1st test 2005 and 3/121 vs NZ in 2005.
Edward Rainsford and Christopher Mpofu is the pace backups.But Rainsford will be infront of Mpofu for his ODI consistency and his domestic record which is better than Mpofu.
SPIN BOWLLING:
Spin bowlling attack will be lead by experienced Raymond Price.From his statistics its cleared that he is a world class bowller.Graeme Cremer is the second spinner as he has some experience of playing in the test format.13 wickets in 6 tests is good.
Then Zimbabwe can use part-time spinners likes of Sean Williams and Stuart Matsikenyeri.Williams has 9 wickets in 26 ODIs and Matsikenyeri has 14 wickets in 79 ODIs.
The backup spinners r Keith Dabengwa and Prosper Utseya.I havent picked Utseya as he isnt consistent in picking up wickets despite maintaining a good economy rate in ODIs.Keith Dabengwas last 3 test innings bowlling figures r 2/87 vs NZ 2nd test 2005,
3/127 vs IND 1st test 2005 and 0/35 vs IND 2nd test 2005.Keith Dabengwa will be straight into the 11 if any batsman cant perform.
This is the current bowlling attack of Zimbabwe.ZC should at least try to contact with Blignaut,Panyangara and Ireland to get them back in order to make the pace bowlling attack more strong but I know its not going to happen really.