You guys are debating this no end, on whether the guys who were in Namibia were players 16-30 or 22-36 or 31-45 or whatever. The fundamental truth is that we do not have the bench strength. Most emerging players of last couple of years have become first teamers now. The numbers being debated hardly matters. We need to look beyond that and accept that we do not have backup - call them A team or the Emerging side or the Board Presidents XI or Takashinga Tallawahs or whatever.
I don't even know where to start with this argument
First the zim squad was hastily assembled on short notice
Second , how many youngest aboard or pursuing
future education who could have been in this emerging squad...
Kunje, Gumbie, chinouya and Mavuta are also fringe players who are hit or miss..
Not really fair, no. I don’t really see how someone being picked in January 2018 is relevant to whether they are part of the picture now or not.
3.5 years is a long time in Zimbabwe. Hell, even 1 year is. Ask Chamu, who this time last year was our national captain and is now not even in our top 12 batters.
2 issues that are paramount (to me):
1) None of the matches were a contest - regardless of the strength of the actual team. ZIM were blown out in every game. That is surprising and should be alarming.
2) There were a lot of international caps in the XI.
Ben Curran (Northants, contract expires this year)
Dane Schadendorf (Notts)
Nick Welch (Leics)
Eddie Byrom (Somerset, contract expires this year)
Dustin Melton (Derby, contract expires this year)
Shane Snater (Essex & Netherlands - seems pretty happy playing for them)
Ryan Higgins (Gloucs. He’s the best of the lot. Should be playing for England in Stokes' absence tbh)
Gary Ballance (lol no chance)
Tawanda Muyeye (Kent. Absolutely zero chance - burnt all bridges with Zim)
We’ve then got PJ in Ireland. Alistair Frost has popped up in club cricket and in Ireland. Brad Evans club cricket but coming back for Logan Cup apparently.
Ryan Murray has supposedly signed with a franchise already. Has he played club cricket recently, anyone know?
Melton extended his contract with Derbyshire for 1 year