Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

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CholeZimbo
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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by CholeZimbo »

secretzimbo wrote:
Wed Sep 29, 2021 1:32 pm
Honestly if we had a competent board and administration (we don’t. So this whole conversation is futile really) , the focus should be on restoring cricket to the schools that already have some facilities. That should be number 1 priority. We don’t need 1000 schools playing it and we don’t need to be taking the game to random peasant villages or whatever. There’s existing schools with cricketing heritage and overgrown abandoned facilities. Sort them out and have maybe 15 or 20 schools playing regular cricket on their facilities. Start with the basics.

A good competitive school system, a proper club system (continue the NPL and try to strengthen and lengthen the provincial club comps) should be the priority at the moment.

People who think the priority should be on some glamorous ZIMSMASH T20 SUPER DOOPER ENTERTAINMENT SHOW LEAGUE with 100 foreign stars and fireworks are living in fantasy land.

While we’re at it I’ll have a mansion, a super car, a foreign passport, a private jet and 100 hookers please.
This has to be one of your funniest posts ever :lol: :lol: :lol: (ZIMSMASH would be a catchy name though :lol: )

Googly
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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by Googly »

It's why I hate the term grass roots :lol:
Grass roots requires money and expertise. Clueless disingenuous people use the term. They need to get just 5 government schools playing a decent standard of school cricket with half decent facilities that used to exist anyway. 20 schools is 15 schools beyond impossible.
Putting up concrete nets in the middle of nowhere is an exercise in PR, but mostly theft. It does however provide a free source of carpets and mesh for fencing of chicken runs.

secretzimbo
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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by secretzimbo »

Googly wrote:
Wed Sep 29, 2021 2:21 pm
It's why I hate the term grass roots :lol:
Grass roots requires money and expertise. Clueless disingenuous people use the term. They need to get just 5 government schools playing a decent standard of school cricket with half decent facilities that used to exist anyway. 20 schools is 15 schools beyond impossible.
Putting up concrete nets in the middle of nowhere is an exercise in PR, but mostly theft. It does however provide a free source of carpets and mesh for fencing of chicken runs.
I agree wholeheartedly with the latter part. How often have we seen some random bags of equipment given to some random village in the middle of nowhere and some ZC suit gurning for a press release photo and some stomach churning quotes about ‘spreading the game’.

And I hear what you are saying about 15-20 schools being too many. But how many schools still have cricket grounds? It’s even more than that. Not gonna happen overnight but it should be the long-term achievable aim to get them all using those facilities and playing some sort of organised cricket.

Googly
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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by Googly »

Many of these so called school facilities are now just barren ground and the only thing they have going for them is that they're flat and there are some broken buildings nearby and there's 2000 pupils, a tiny portion of whom may have heard about cricket. I wonder what happens to a clay square after years of neglect? I'm not talking the grass cover, but the actual clay itself?
One of the major problems is a massive water shortage, particularly in Harare. In the unlikely event they have decent boreholes, they won't have the pumps and pipes, that's before you even consider groundstaff with any knowledge of pitch and outfield resurrection and maintenance. Now you're talking about tractors and mowers, a bit of fertiliser etc. It's not a whole heap of money, but it's money nonetheless. Much of the upkeep of grounds, even at Private schools falls partly on the shoulders of willing and able parents. This is just non existent in government schools (possible exception of PE), and whatever PTA they may have will focus on educational hurdles.
You're not going to get the schools to spend money on cricket, they're short of funds as it is, there's not more than half a dozen parents with the remotest interest or ability to assist and it would all have to come from ZC. Do I need to explain how this ends? Well it won't really even start, will it.
Talk of grass roots cricket and concrete nets erected in the middle of nowhere will continue ad nauseum.
An interesting situation arose some years ago at Eaglesvale, formerly Bothasoff (some serious cricketers came through there!!!)- the school was staggering along keeping its head above water, but it owned valuable land. A wild guess what transpired?? The school board was usurped, the land taken and the school was left in disarray.
I could tell you who got the land, but ...

I actually see more of this happening. Land in general, but strategic urban land is highly sought after. There is zero security of tenure here, absolutely zero. Many sports clubs are facing problems from unscrupulous people and this will extend to strategically placed schools, mark my words. It's a matter of time before a school decides- well we dont really use the top field or the bottom field and we could use a new science lab and maybe pocket the difference and Bob's your Aunty!

secretzimbo
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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by secretzimbo »

Googly wrote:
Wed Sep 29, 2021 3:30 pm
Many of these so called school facilities are now just barren ground and the only thing they have going for them is that they're flat and there are some broken buildings nearby and there's 2000 pupils, a tiny portion of whom may have heard about cricket. I wonder what happens to a clay square after years of neglect? I'm not talking the grass cover, but the actual clay itself?
One of the major problems is a massive water shortage, particularly in Harare. In the unlikely event they have decent boreholes, they won't have the pumps and pipes, that's before you even consider groundstaff with any knowledge of pitch and outfield resurrection and maintenance. Now you're talking about tractors and mowers, a bit of fertiliser etc. It's not a whole heap of money, but it's money nonetheless. Much of the upkeep of grounds, even at Private schools falls partly on the shoulders of willing and able parents. This is just non existent in government schools (possible exception of PE), and whatever PTA they may have will focus on educational hurdles.
You're not going to get the schools to spend money on cricket, they're short of funds as it is, there's not more than half a dozen parents with the remotest interest or ability to assist and it would all have to come from ZC. Do I need to explain how this ends? Well it won't really even start, will it.
Talk of grass roots cricket and concrete nets erected in the middle of nowhere will continue ad nauseum.
An interesting situation arose some years ago at Eaglesvale, formerly Bothasoff (some serious cricketers came through there!!!)- the school was staggering along keeping its head above water, but it owned valuable land. A wild guess what transpired?? The school board was usurped, the land taken and the school was left in disarray.
I could tell you who got the land, but ...
Can't argue with any of the above really. But restoring those facilities should be the ambition. And I'm not saying overnight, I'm talking many years long-term. You're right, start with the five or six schools who have a realistic chance. When they are up and running and strong, then move on to the other schools with grounds. There's a huge amount of former cricket pitches still standing at schools despite the relevant point you make about land.

There should be a real long-term strategy to roll cricket back out to schools.

I know it's very far-fetched considering all the things you mention. But there's more chance of resurrecting cricket in schools with heritage and (admittedly old and abandoned and difficult) facilities than there is of introducing cricket in random villages with concrete nets and a bag of 30-year-old pads and bats.

For all the reasons we have both listed numerous times though, unfortunately it's unlikely to ever really happen.

But if I was ZC thats what I'd be doing above anything. I think our cricket system has regressed so much that we need to start again, at the bottom. I'd rather invest money right now in schools than in the first class structure tbh.
I actually see more of this happening. Land in general, but strategic urban land is highly sought after. There is zero security of tenure here, absolutely zero. Many sports clubs are facing problems from unscrupulous people and this will extend to strategically placed schools, mark my words. It's a matter of time before a school decides- well we dont really use the top field or the bottom field and we could use a new science lab and maybe pocket the difference and Bob's your Aunty!

This has happened at several clubs as you mention. OH recently had some hawks circling with such intentions. Gweru SC had battles with local developers and 'politicians' for many years hence being almost abandoned. Recently resolved and had their land secured and all of a sudden the club is alive and people care again.

There's still a lot of old pitches - school and otherwise - hanging around though waiting to be used.

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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by slcricfan1 »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwgICUS5dj4

Burl towards the end of the video

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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by zimlover »

slcricfan1 wrote:
Sun Oct 03, 2021 1:38 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwgICUS5dj4

Burl towards the end of the video
I know it’s only Nepal but that was some amazing hitting by Burl.I hope he continues to play some amazing cricket shots he is starting to look like Captain material.

With the upcoming Zimbabwe tour from Afghanistan coming soon in December we need him firing in all directions.

With Taylor gone he may be a good replacement and gun player to take us forward and finish of the game and put extra pressure on the opposition bowlers.

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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by slcricfan1 »


TapsC2
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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by TapsC2 »

zimlover wrote:
Sun Oct 03, 2021 8:17 am
slcricfan1 wrote:
Sun Oct 03, 2021 1:38 am
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwgICUS5dj4

Burl towards the end of the video
I know it’s only Nepal but that was some amazing hitting by Burl.I hope he continues to play some amazing cricket shots he is starting to look like Captain material.

With the upcoming Zimbabwe tour from Afghanistan coming soon in December we need him firing in all directions.

With Taylor gone he may be a good replacement and gun player to take us forward and finish of the game and put extra pressure on the opposition bowlers.
True. With every crisis there is opportunity. This is the perfect moment for Burl to step up his game and grab Taylor's spot. Not saying he will be as good as BT but he should definitely move up the order this domestic season and claim one of those spots

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Rajkumar Sharma
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Re: Raza to play for Biratnagar warriors (Nepal EPL t-20)

Post by Rajkumar Sharma »

Great to see Burl among wickets in every games. A leg spinning allrounder has been faded away from international cricket. Rashid at present one who is carrying such role but still he is more ofa slogger then a technically correct batsman, Burl may join in the top ICC allrounder list very soon

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