Zimbabwe vs Ireland Third T20 [match thread]

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ZIMDOGGY
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Re: Zimbabwe vs Ireland Third T20 [match thread]

Post by ZIMDOGGY »

CrimsonAvenger wrote:
Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:22 am
Two best recent examples of how to trust a cricketer and give them extended runs to reap rewards was seen in NZ backing Henry Nicholls and SL backing Kusal Mendis. The first one succeeded but second seems to have not, despite Mendis clearly having oodles of talent. Also considering the fact that we do not have any others to back outside of these kids and can only go back to the Marumas, the Chamus and the Charis, it is a no-brainer that we need to back these guys for the time being and hope they come good. 20-30 innings look fairly sensible overall.
It simply all comes doown to pressure in this sport and how players respond to it, or lack of it.
Some people love it. Or thrive on it. This is a trait you tend to see amongst the greats. I’ve seen quotes over the years, not just cricket, where top athletes have talked about the thirst for pressure.

However that’s one group of people and a little in the minority.
You then get the other group that are impeded by the idea that two failures on the trot means their head, and they become a wreck.
If they know they have a genuine extended run. They will grow into it.
Often players fall into this category due to lack of options.
In my mind, someone like Cremer would have been discarded a long time ago in a more professional setup of a top 5 country. But because there are no other leggies, amd he does have talent, he was persisted with and became a decent bowler in his thirties.

Even Craig is in this bracket. He had a lot of doubters even 5 years ago.

Then you have the Vusi Sibamda types who just couldn’t make it work no matter how long their run. Just didn’t have it mentally.
The time he did get that one day century against that associate team he was a mental wreck in the nineties. I think it was Williams who had to step back and take singles whilst he nervously eeked his way to the hundred. The game wasn’t in doubt at that point so they could afford the privilege.

It’s the first and only time I watched a player score a century(!!) and left the TV knowing that he will never have what it takes upstairs. He would never score a century like that against a top team in competitive circumstances.
Cricinfo profile of the 'James Bond' of cricket:

FULL NAME: Angus James Mackay
BORN: 13 June 1967, Harare
KNOWN AS: Gus Mackay

'The' Gus Mackay.

Hero.
Sportsman.
Artist.
Player.

**
Q. VUSI SIBANDA, WHERE DO YOU HOP?

A. UNDA DA ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE*

CholeZimbo
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Re: Zimbabwe vs Ireland Third T20 [match thread]

Post by CholeZimbo »

secretzimbo wrote:
Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:36 am
CrimsonAvenger wrote:
Thu Sep 02, 2021 9:21 am
Yeah, my point was more about giving them an extended run to prove themselves in general, not at the cost of benching BT, Williams and co or the current situation per se.
Yeah.

So someone like Marumani. Who’s built his game on confidence and swagger since primary school - do we keep throwing him in? I’m a huge believer in him, think he has as much talent as anyone in this format. But when does his confidence take a knock? That’s his biggest asset. He’s had a good run. Now he needs to sit out for a while. It’s still great that he’s with the squad on tour and learning. There’s another domestic season only 2 months away which he will boss, then he can have another crack at the national team.

Similarly Myers - what does it teach him if he keeps getting picked despite failing? It teaches him that failure is okay and is accepted in the Zim setup (like so many before him). He’s a smart kid. If he gets a kick up the arse by being dropped, I Back him to have the attitude and intelligence to work realy really hard to improve and come back on the next tour and perform.

It’s important to teach winning and success and have high standards.

I think ideally 2 of the four youngsters should play in a match. That seems like a nice balance. But we still need to have standards of what we expect from them performance-wise just like we do for more senior guys.
Yep. 2 of each batch. And they replace each other on form. At the end, the team should win. Better for a youngster to fail personally in the game but overall the team wins. Next time the hunger is to contribute to a win, not an individual bad or even good performance but the team loses.

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