The administrators of this forum need to axe these c%#
What he said there has resonance unfortunately. The idea of fawning talented players willing to grovel for a couple of games a year for a pittance is first prize and there's much head scratching why there isn't a queue of them.
And no we don't have a lot of talent. We've had about 6 good players in the last 8 years and 2 have elected to stay and both had limited choices. Players go and play in England and elsewhere to earn some money and play a higher level of cricket. If it was offered here they wouldn't go. It's that simple. Who's to blame for that?
Someone correctly pointed out that if Madhevere and Mandande were still in SA they'd be better players. So what little talent stays here stagnates. Who's to blame?
The days of semi-pro players being able to hold their own are long gone. You pay peanuts you get what you paid for, it's very simple.
Do you suggest they sign a document as a 12 year old stating they forgo tertiary education opportunities, will accept 200 a month salary in a few years time, when they could go and learn a business skill that could see them have an opportunity to raise a family above the breadline?
Firstly the only real opportunity that comes a young player's way is the u19 WC. Prior to that there is literally nothing. ZC contribute nothing towards any players' development prior to this. If they think they do that's sad. There are a few development coaches floating around, but don't seem to develop much. One cluster fuck trials session once a year with 100 ordinary players and some Tee shirts is not development
Clearing that Milton cricket pitch will tick the development box for the next 5 years
ZC then spend money at u19 level that's allocated by ICC for this purpose. They spend it on players that have been ignored for the previous 10 years and wonder why they get raped. They also are quite willing to pick players who are able to buy a spot on the team. They think 5 months of net practices aged 18 will enable them to compete with the big teams. Hasn't worked in 15 years of trying, but maybe next year
They could get them to sign something at this point, but how many people would be willing? Would the contract read- you can't exit Zim unless we say you can? You can't go to university overseas, you can't sign a pro contract with anyone else even if we've got nothing to offer you, we just want you on standby. The good players with options would say No! It's strange that generally the players with options are the better players. Food for thought.
ZC offer no pathway beyond that. You have a handful of good players that should immediately go into an academy or into a franchise set up where they get proper coaching and opportunities and a small income to help with the bills. Should they be successful they should be able to look forward to a liveable income for the next 15 years. Every single other member nation offer this except us. Its a bloody sad joke. The only "serious" cricketing nation without an academy or competent level 3 and 4 coaches to staff it.
We don't even have official coaches for our national side
Anyone short of a Brent/Houghton type of academy coach is a waste of time and money. You need a guy with serious skills and discipline and respect or don't bother at all. You cant do anything half baked and expect it to work. Brent has been sidelined by being offered the women's role. He's going to do well by them as he always does, but this guy heading up a national academy would tick every box. They had it before with the Rangers and it was ideal but of course it looked like it might work so they stopped it. Emasculation through competence
Studied incompetence is the only way you won't get your head lopped off.
It would only be really successful if he could choose the players and not have to work with guys chosen for him
That's the other way of making sure it doesn't go too well.
People stay only if there's opportunity and something to look forward to. You have to create that environment. If it doesn't exist then there's something very wrong and it's why people with options exit.
Once again only a top down approach can work!
Youngsters need to look up to our national players because they win some games and the ones they lose they go down fighting. That bird has flown and the consequences have been massive. We may have another decade to continue our fictitious grass roots nonsense, but I doubt it.
We suffer humiliating defeat after humiliating defeat and its been so long it's actually accepted with a shrug of the shoulders by everybody. Thats the sad part.
Let's take a hypothetical scenario where Madhevere and Shumba get multiple hundreds between them and win us some games, you'll see street cricket being played within the month. Truth.
Until we put up a fight at national level nothing will work.
Until youngsters can see you can make a living from cricket here they won't commit to practice or the country. Patriotism is a word bandied around by the bosses trying to shame people whilst they get rich on the side. Until they want to be like one of the national players and see there's money to be made and recognition there's no plan for anything.