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The end of the year marks my annual tradition of naming a ZCF XI. I try my best to include all the best forumites, but much like ZC, my selection methods are sometimes questionable.

1. brmtaylor.com: About time he was promoted up the order, he has been hiding in the middle order for years now. Has an advantage over other forumites for home matches as he has actually been to Zimbabwe. Is now only the captain for 2 day 18-a-side tour matches.
2. ZIMDOGGY: An unreliable presence at the top of the order. Spends most of his time wondering about what Gus Mackay eats for breakfast.
3. sloandog: Oft injured, has lost a yard of pace, and has been banned from bowling because of a questionable action. In true ZC fashion has been selected as a non-batting specialist at the top of the order.
4. CrimsonAvenger: Doesn't seem to take as many photos as before. Word has it that coach Maehara Mangongo confiscated his camera as it was being used for entertainment purposes only normally seen in boozers league cricket.
5. Jemisi: Another year of unmemorable yet reliable contributions.
6. eugene: Hiding even further down the order this season. Promoted to ODI captain.
7. zimfan1: Finally makes the team this year, perhaps those quotas don't exist?
8. Dr_Situ (ZimFanatic): Only bowls medium pace these days after having his offspiners banned. Doubles as the team doctor. Thinks Maehara Mangongo is a terrible coach who is responsible for all that is bad in the world.
9. jimmylesaint: Questions remain about his true identity, though some of us think we have solved the puzzle. Doubles as the team physio.
10. Train Driver: The specialist tailender who neither bats or bowls. Test captain. Coach Maehara Mangongo's favourite player.
11. Googly: The team pessimist, sticks around despite constant predictions that these are the end times for the ZCF XI.

Coach: Maehara Mangongo: A brutal tyrant who rules with an ironfist. Not a fan of the boozers league cricket most of the players seem to enjoy.

eugene wrote:4. CrimsonAvenger: Doesn't seem to take as many photos as before. Word has it that coach Maehara Mangongo confiscated his camera as it was being used for entertainment purposes only normally seen in boozers league cricket.

Indeed, there was a spat. I showed the pics of Kriterion_BD's exquisite cover drives to our strike bowler foreignfield just before the BD tour and the coach banned him from the playing XI for seeing it and suspended me for one month.

Kriterion_BD might smack his lips at seeing the out of form ZCF XI and might be plotting another white wash, but let me be very clear... our bowling department has four very very disgruntled folks (be it against the setup / the coach) who are raring to go against anything they are unleashed upon. With that bowling line up, we can beat anyone

And about time someone started grant-Mania for ZCF XI. Can't lose out young talent to Suriname, Belarus and the likes...

Our number 5 may be solid and lacking the inflammatory qualities of some others but he likes to think he has a bit of a golden arm and doesn't have to rely on his batting alone.

CrimsonAvenger wrote:Indeed, there was a spat. I showed the pics of Kriterion_BD's exquisite cover drives to our strike bowler foreignfield just before the BD tour and the coach banned him from the playing XI for seeing it and suspended me for one month.

“Obviously disappointed not to make the playing 11. But Maehara Mangongo and I always get on well I have no hard feelings about being dropped,” said foreignfield. "And yes, those cover drives sent shivers up my spine."

“I would love to have an opportunity to bat or bowl anywhere in the order, but I still have a lot to learn and also I have to make the provional 98-man Squad first," foreignfield told the Daily ZCF News.

Some controversy with the selector knowing nothing about the game, but is friends with a ZC staff members cousin.

It's really difficult for me to get into any batting or bowling form as someone has repossessed the nets and if I'm a favourite of the coach it's only because he was given my twin-cab by the repo men, I'd polished it up really lovely as well, it looked an absolute bvute

Here is the 2013 lineup: http://zimcricketforums.com/viewtopic.p ... ZCF+annual

Here is the 2012 lineup: http://zimcricketforums.com/viewtopic.p ... 36&p=46995

So, given that I have been a solid no.3 for the last two years, and the coming year being a world cup year, shouldn't I have been dropped from this year's XI on some obscure grounds?

Well notice that sloandog has been promoted from a tailender to the number 3 position.

I feel that my move to Takashinga at the beginning of the season has made my selection possible. However I have had to turn up to practise in a ZANU PF T-shirt to prove my commitment to the cause.