19 man squad announced - no Taibu, no Taylor, no Waller

[brmtaylor.com admin]

According to http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/133190070 but by the look of their article (and it looks to be affiliated with AP) it seems legit.

Squad: Prosper Utseya (captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Ray Price, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Mark Vermeulen, Charles Coventry, Vusi Sibanda, Sean Williams, Elton Chigumbura, Chamu Chibhabha, Forster Mutizwa, Keith Dabengwa, Timycen Maruma, Graeme Cremer, Chris Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ed Rainsford, Admire Manyumwa, Trevor Garwe.

Taibu has been suspended for 10 matches, because a disciplinary committee found him guilty of the assault charges that the Harare magistrates court found him not guilty of.

No Brendan Taylor, that is a huge blow.

[CrimsonAvenger]

And no Waller too. Must be really tough on the young man after putting up sterling performances in the Logan Cup. If Zim XI plays against Afghanistan, then I think he would be the front runner to lead that side.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

And no Waller too. Must be really tough on the young man after putting up sterling performances in the Logan Cup. If Zim XI plays against Afghanistan, then I think he would be the front runner to lead that side.

Gee, I didn't pick that up. Assuming there is not something we don't know, like an injury concern - how can Trevor Garwe possibly get selected before Waller? Garwe is about 11th bowler in line to play after Utseya, Price, Chigumbura, Rainsford, Cremer, Mpofu, Mupariwa, Dabengwa, Maruma and Manyumwa, or the 6th choice seamer.

If I recall Garwe had a shocker of a Logan Cup, but came good for 3 days in the Twenty20's. Waller had a stellar Logan Cup and a fine Twenty20 campaign, and did not disgrace himself in Bangladesh and Kenya (although on ODI form might come behind Mutizwa). Waller is ahead of Chibhabha no matter how you look at it.

I'm hoping there has been a mistake... I could live with Waller not being in the 15, but not being included in a 19 man squad that features Garwe, Chibhabha, Dabengwa, etc?

[zimfan1]

I wouldent read into to much the fact that Taylor has not been selceted in this squad as i know that he is defintly meeting up with the side in Bulawayo so there is a chance that he will be in the mix but i am a little concerned

Now the Malcolm Waller situation i cannot understand, the only thing that would make sense is that he had his best performances in the 4 day version and ZC want him to lead the side against Afganistan

Taibu well, i can understand why he has been suspended but just when we looked to be back on track we get knocked down again

What i am most concered about is that it was Campbell who picked the sqaud and i expected better judgement from him

[maehara]

Very interesting report on Taibu's ban over at CricInfo:
http://www.cricinfo.com/zimbabwe/conten ... 15871.html

Seems Taibu had already admitted the assault to ZC prior to the court hearing, the ZC ban had also been decided on before the court action. Very strange situation.

[CrimsonAvenger]

"This is not the first time that Tatenda has been left off the national squad. He was not a member of the last squad which played against India and the decision was centred on discipline and form."

So they are keeping an eye on form as well...

[muyendesi]

I cant wait for the day Dabengwa and matsikenyere are both dropped from the squard.How can someone like vusi sibanda just walk into the team at the expense of waller.I wonder what kind of message the selectors are sending to the guys who give their all in domestic games.I am gutted for waller.I hope the selectors will prove me wrong with a proper thumping of bangladesh

[Detective RDS]

There is no logic to select Sibanda and Dabengwa in the squad.

Why not let me show:

Vusimuzi Sibanda >> For the last one a half year, Sibanda has scored 330 runs in 19 matches just at 17.36 with 2X50, SR 56.89. You have to just look at what he scored (59, 9, 6, 3, 18, 9, 4, 25, 21, 5, 15, 7, 7, 0, 77 ,41, 18, 5, 1)

Details with statistics: (http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/pla ... ew=innings)

As an opening batsman, it's not enough at all. Average just 17! Not enough runs under his belt.

Keith Dabengwa >> For the last one and a half year, he scored 245 runs in 15 matches at 18, best 45 and took 12 wickets at 31.25, best 3/15. Batting not okay, bowling so so. But there are 3 genuine spinners already in the side. So, I don't think there is no need to include Dabengwa in the side also.

Details with statistics: (http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/pla ... ew=innings)

Even I don't like Stuart Matsikenyeri in the squad too. An average of 20+ in 80 odd matches isn't sufficient as a top order batsman. But as he scored runs in the Kenya series and in the domestic season, it's okay that he retain his spot in the squad.

"This is not the first time that Tatenda has been left off the national squad. He was not a member of the last squad which played against India and the decision was centred on discipline and form."

Talking about the form of Tatenda Taibu, he wasn't on top of his form in the domestic competition. For the last one and a half year, he scored 415 runs in 17 matches at 25.93, best 81 with 3X50. It's not bad, good! I reckon, he is banned for his off field controversy.

Details with statistics: (http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/pla ... ew=innings)

As far as Malcolm Waller is concerned, I think the selectors think that he is a specialist batsman for the long version of game and his form was also on top in the Logan Cup. Another factor, his List A average is under 20 as well as his in his 5 ODIs that he played despite made a half century against Bangladesh. Probably for these facts he is left out. But that really doesn't mean he can't be selected in the 19 players squad. If it's shortlisted into 14, then that could have been alright. On the positives, he scored runs in the Twenty-20.

I think, two questions need to be cleared up:

1. Will the 19 players squad be shortlisted into 14 players squad ?
2. If not, the players who are in the 19 players squad but not near in the playing XI, can they participate in the FC (4 day) match against Afghanistan ?

If not, then that cleares Malcolm Waller is in line to be the captain of Zimbabwe 'A' as zimfan1 said. So, he isn't selected.

I wouldent read into to much the fact that Taylor has not been selceted in this squad as i know that he is defintly meeting up with the side in Bulawayo so there is a chance that he will be in the mix but i am a little concerned

Brendan Taylor should be in the side. I also think that he can be a late addition to the team. I can remember Sean Williams was included in the team in the midway of the ODI series against Sri Lanka. It's a home series also...

[brmtaylor.com admin]

You might be on to something Detective RDS. Maybe they want to slowly ease Malcolm Waller into international cricket... ZC should be giving an explanation about his omission from the squad though. For all we know there is a perfectly valid reason why he is not in the 19.

As for Matsikenyeri and Dabengwa, well the stats say it all don't they. They don't deserve to get a game, Dabengwa hasn't done anything to suggest he is an international level player. Matsikenyeri (who is Prosper Utseya's cousin) has had 6 years to perform, he shows the occasional glimpse that he has turned the corner but ultimately his ODI average still hovers around 20. Not good enough - one can tolerate it when there is nobody to replace him, but now there are a quite a few people that are actually better than him.

Knock me over with a feather if Matsikenyeri doesn't line up on August 9. There's no such thing as a sure thing in sport, but Matsikenyeri's inclusion gets pretty close. Dabengwa might not be so lucky, he never really had a role before so his inclusion isn't justifiable by any stretch of the imagination. I've been saying this for years, I hope Dabengwa and Matsikenyeri go out there and prove me wrong with a few hundreds... but I say this out of blind optimism and hope rather than any real expectation that they will ever do this.

[Detective RDS]

Link: http://www.cricinfo.com/zimvbdesh2009/c ... 15808.html

Bangladesh in Zimbabwe 2009

Controversial Vermeulen earns Zimbabwe recall

Cricinfo staff

July 21, 2009

Mark Vermeulen is set to make a return to the international fold after being named in Zimbabwe's one-day squad for the five-match series against Bangladesh at home next month. His selection comes just months after being acquitted of an arson attack which destroyed Zimbabwe's cricket academy in 2006.

The arson attack could have cost Vermeulen up to 25 years in prison. He admitted to starting the fire but was acquitted on the grounds that he had been suffering psychiatric problems, including partial complex epilepsy, ever since he suffered a head injury during an ODI against India in 2004. He made his first steps towards an international comeback when he was named in the A squad for the tour of Namibia in February. He last played an international match in 2004.

Another player making a return to the 19-man squad is the wicketkeeper-batsman Charles Coventry, who last played for Zimbabwe in 2006. There was no place, however, for the former captain Tatenda Taibu, who has been suspended for ten games by the board, despite being acquitted of assaulting Esther Lupepe, Zimbabwe Cricket's general finance manager. Another player dropped from the squad which faced Kenya earlier this year is Malcolm Waller.

"An internal disciplinary team made up of three retired magistrates however found him [Taibu] guilty," Zimbabwe Cricket spokesman Shingai Rhuhwaya told Associated Press. "He has therefore been suspended for 10 matches. He will however be eligible to play for his province."

The two new faces in the squad are the Mashonaland right-arm seamers Trevor Garwe and Admire Manyumwa. There are also recalls for batsman Chamu Chibhabha and offspinner Timycen Maruma.

Bangladesh will play all five matches in Bulawayo from August 9 to 18.

Zimbabwe Squad:

Prosper Utseya (capt), Hamilton Masakadza, Ray Price, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Mark Vermeulen, Charles Coventry (wk), Vusi Sibanda, Sean Williams, Elton Chigumbura, Chamu Chibhabha, Forster Mutizwa, Keith Dabengwa, Timycen Maruma, Graeme Cremer, Chris Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ed Rainsford, Admire Manyumwa, Trevor Garwe