Zimbabwe vs Pakistan | 3rd LOI | 28 November 2024

[Googly]

If you want to see Raza's technique exposed let him open against the new ball. Wonderful player but not against the new ball.

Marumani has just got to stop trying to help that ball behind square and he will go up a level. When he's in and smoking it it looks fine, OK T20 shot and OK against Mozambique but put it away against the better teams. Just put it away forever actually.
Ya he's got real ability, he will get it right one day.

Most big teams are cleaning house and putting in new players. We're sticking with our 3 seniors when ordinarily they'd be getting phased out. Well that is also happening to a degree as well. ZC just don't trust replacing them because there's no Ballance in the wings. What will be interesting is if BT makes a come-back. He will get a direct slot and now there will be 4. Come end of 2026 it's entirely possible a couple of them will be fading fast and then they'll be diving for players at the most crucial time and giving them fuck all chance, but of course that may be the intention.

Here's a suggestion- ask Williams, Ervine, BT who should replace them. Guys who've played successfully at the highest level for over a decade. They must know a thing or two about batting at the highest level and who has a chance.
Why rely on a bang average first class seamer from 20 years ago to make a random pick?
Rather let him buy lotto tickets.
Don't ask Raza coz he'll pick Faraz.
One of the Ali's might come good though. Both handy players.

[Googly]

How is Gumbie keeping Madande out the side? They bat in different spots. Madande should have recognised a long time ago that the free spot is up the order and he should have been playing his cricket there for the last few years.
Madande looked OK today. I may well be proved wrong but I don't think he will do well internationally.
That commentator who sounded like his coach from SA was saying all he needed to do since we were losing anyway was to get a decent 30-40 to get a promotion up the order. FFS.

Bennett has earned a promotion and should probably bat ahead of Raza.

[Andy31]

A better way to maybe phase the older ones out is changing the order.
This was yesterdays
3-Dion Myers
4-Craig Ervine (c)
5-Sean Williams
6-Sikandar Raza
7-Brian Bennett
9-Clive Madande

I would look at not having the three oldest guys batting in a row. So maybe something like this:

3-Craig Ervine (c)
4-Dion Myers
5-Sean Williams
6-Brian Bennett
7-Sikandar Raza
8-Clive Madande

[Mr Twig]

Much better performance than the 2nd game. Ervine and Williams was the partnership but both got unlucky. Raza with that hook shot he loves.
Bennett/Madande was also looking promising and probably didn't need to be that aggressive

I think too many players playing in the wrong format. We've got a ton of games in all formats coming up in the next 12 months. Surely they can start playing them in their best formats. I think only Bennett , Muzarabani and Ngarava deserve to play all 3 formats.

[Googly]

Well the difference was Bennett was still trying to win the game and Madande was trying to get 30-40 at 70- 80% to ensure re-selection, its as if he had an earpiece from that Flathead commentator. I don't think promotion had even occurred to him.

A guy coming in and trying to hit and going out on 10 is going to get dropped for a guy getting a steady 30 and guaranteeing the team loses. You look at the stats, which they like to do when it suits, and the 30 guy gets reselected and becomes a gem and a national treasure, but some of us would rather have the guy that still thinks he can chase 15 an over.

[Googly]

A better way to maybe phase the older ones out is changing the order.
This was yesterdays
3-Dion Myers
4-Craig Ervine (c)
5-Sean Williams
6-Sikandar Raza
7-Brian Bennett
9-Clive Madande

I would look at not having the three oldest guys batting in a row. So maybe something like this:

3-Craig Ervine (c)
4-Dion Myers
5-Sean Williams
6-Brian Bennett
7-Sikandar Raza
8-Clive Madande

Ya that's not a bad idea. You're not really phasing them out per se but that is a better line up.

Putting Dion at 3 is setting him up for failure. These guys calling him a generational talent just don't understand the pressures and what's involved. I'd actually try and bring him in at 5 or 6 for a few games until he finds his feet. Apart from his power sweep he's also got a problem with tempo. Just needs to relax a bit and figure out how to pace the innings a bit better. Doing it at club and first class level is easier, but there's a lot going on in your head when you're on the international stage against quality bowlers and fielders. There's a lot more at stake and there's a lot more adrenaline. Time at the crease and hopefully a few good innings under your belt settles the nerves a bit.

This would be my next ODI line up.
Maru and Overlord should get the next series.
This is the toughest place to bat, so much rests on a solid start by at least one of them, if not both.
Craig- no3 is pretty much the same as opening. Craig starts slow as a rule, but we're trying to bat 50.
Brian. Time for a promotion, let's see how he goes.
Sean. Our best player.
Dion. A bit easier down here.
Raza. A better finisher than a rescuer in this format.

Not sold on Clive. There are better options, depending on the deck.

[Googly]

Bavuma and Stubbs playing beautifully. Sri Lanka are doomed this game.
Stubbs is a superstar.
What has happened to Brevis? He just seems to have dropped off the radar completely.
They've got another good youngster coming thru-
Matthew De Villiers. Proper batsman, bright career ahead unless he gets quota'd, but they seem to have moved beyond that atm.

[secretzimbo]

Talk of phasing out the big three. But, the broadcast had a great stat the other day -

Since start of 2022, Raza Ervine and Williams have a combined average of 44 for Zim.

Everyone else in our top 6 has a combined average of 20….

[secretzimbo]

Raza is an overrated player always has been.

If Raza is overrated what on Earth does that make the rest of our squad?

You don’t like him but he’s single handedly kept us afloat for the past few years.

Again, someone needs to find the stat of how many MOTM awards he’s won for us the past few years. Crazy.

He’s also done well and performed well in the various overseas leagues he’s been in, except for maybe his second IPL.

[secretzimbo]

Test average of 36, ODI average 36, T20 average 26 with 140 SR. Not bad for a fella who also takes loads of wickets and bowls well, is our best fielder, and is often captain.

If that’s over rated by Zim standards then god help everyone else.