Taibu to launch Zim Cricket Academy based in Merseyside!

[Googly]

We've also had a couple of Zim guys leave clubs under a bit of a cloud. If you send 15 guys under the ZC banner and there's any poor behavior it will not sit well with ECB or ICC. They need to screen guys carefully character-wise before sending them. I would be disappointed if Ngarava had another chance. If you're serious about trials in Kwekwe then I'm also assuming the white component will not be well represented. If there are impromptu trials I smell a rat. Seems like they're being done in a hurry for some reason? Nothing is ever planned, always a last minute emergency, I smell panic in the camp.

[aydee]

We've also had a couple of Zim guys leave clubs under a bit of a cloud. If you send 15 guys under the ZC banner and there's any poor behavior it will not sit well with ECB or ICC. They need to screen guys carefully character-wise before sending them. I would be disappointed if Ngarava had another chance. If you're serious about trials in Kwekwe then I'm also assuming the white component will not be well represented. If there are impromptu trials I smell a rat. Seems like they're being done in a hurry for some reason? Nothing is ever planned, always a last minute emergency, I smell panic in the camp.

Trials are not only in Kwekwe, there are others in other towns.

[Kriterion_BD]

This is a great initiative. If ZC can fund 15 players training and playing during the English season every year it can only do a world of good. My suggestion would be to keep all places in the squad open to players for 2 seasons. Maybe keep 3 of the 15 slots for returning injured, or out of form players, but keep the other 12 spots for young inexperienced players. To prevent anyone like Vusi or Elton hogging up slots maybe say anyone with more than 25 international caps is disqualified. But this would let a young guy like Musakanda still benifit from the experience.

[CrimsonAvenger]

To prevent anyone like Vusi or Elton hogging up slots maybe say anyone with more than 25 international caps is disqualified.

No such worries. They have kept the age limit between 18 and 22. Let us see how this unfolds over the next couple of weeks...

[Kriterion_BD]

Problem with an age limit less than say 24 or 25 is that a Musakanda or Mumba wouldn't be able to benifit, unless Zim also arranges a heathy amount of A team tours. In Bangladesh we are struggling with a lack of A team cricket. Don't even remember the last time we had an A or Academy side tour...we used to have a lot of those developmental tours up until a few years ago.

[CrimsonAvenger]

Problem with an age limit less than say 24 or 25 is that a Musakanda or Mumba wouldn't be able to benifit, unless Zim also arranges a heathy amount of A team tours. In Bangladesh we are struggling with a lack of A team cricket. Don't even remember the last time we had an A or Academy side tour...we used to have a lot of those developmental tours up until a few years ago.

This selection of 15 cannot be the silver bullet to solve all outstanding problems of Zim Cricket anyway. As others are predicting, most likely this will also add another problem in months to come in its own way. We need to have some cutoff and 18-22 seems a sensible one. Musakanda and Co. are capable of landing a club deal on their ability alone if left out of this kind of trials anyway.

[Kriterion_BD]

Yes but playing against county 2nd XIs will be better than random clubs. Ashraful once played for a Rainhill CC and dominated with bat and ball. In the end it was largely meaningless as his career never really got going excpet the odd brilliant knock. But he was probably not consistent enough to have played in a siginficantly better league.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Yes but playing against county 2nd XIs will be better than random clubs. Ashraful once played for a Rainhill CC and dominated with bat and ball. In the end it was largely meaningless as his career never really got going excpet the odd brilliant knock. But he was probably not consistent enough to have played in a siginficantly better league.

Some random Taibu/Matsikenyeri Development XI won't be playing county seconds. The article mentioned development squads, which probably means it'll be like the Hampshire Cricket Board Chairman's U-17 Academy XI or something.

[Googly]

I'm deeply skeptical why this is suddenly a priority. I've just seen these blokes in action for long enough to know that there's a reason for this beyond just suddenly trying to help the younger guys. We can't organize games here for goodness sake and now they're trying to start an academy 8000km away?? The 40 000 Vic Falls stadium and The Makoni Muzarabani development academy are more achievable. I'd be happy to be wrong, but let's see...

[ZIMDOGGY]

I don't get it either.
Apart from the concerns Googly has raised, I noted that in the interview Taibu has said that one of the prime object it's is to get the boys used to overseas conditions in England.

Firstly, we don't play England. We literally have sanctions from england. It might change, but this is the status quo and Taibu would be taking a huge punt on something that hasn't happened yet.

Secondly, England has unique conditions from the fact that it is the only test county that plays in a cold climate. The rest are hot stinky countries except NZ, however NZs Summer is warm and no one plays NZ at home in winter. So the experience isn't that urgent whatsoever.

Thirdly,
Can anyone not see the problem with sending Sending Zimbabwes finest young talent in the heart of England to learn? Would you ask a lion to babysit a rabbit? With England's history, and their first world creature comforts, I find it naive to think that these boys may all of a sudden develop an urge to be county professionals or England players instead. Even the negros, they are playing and kicking in England under the eye of all of the county scouts and English coaches.


It's like letting your teenage virgin daughter go on a camping trip with a bunch of older lebs because they seemed nice. Naive.

Good Intentions. Bad judgment