Zimbabwe Players and Retirements

[Googly]

Yeah a really frightening fact that barely anyone has done their time and bowed out gracefully with a benefit match and all, like civilized people do. Just such an indictment on ZC and further proof of the chaos and ugliness.
I think Hammy may be the first.
It so depends on what Cricket lies ahead if we don’t quali.
and how closely the ftp is adhered to. The fact is that if we ostensibly dropped a rung and were firmly in the group with Afghanistan, Ireland, Netherlands etc it would be the end of my world, but it seems to be our destiny. However we’re not going to have a full program at this level either.
These guys will be looking to play up, we’re on the way down, no one will want to play us. We have to qualify!!!

[TapsC]

The difference in salaries between domestic and national players is so big that retiring from the national setup just isn't an option. The 2000 dollars Chakabva gets from 1 test is probably what he earns if he just played the Logan cup for the whole season. He will always stick his hand up if picked.

Sometimes as sports fans we forget this is a job for these guys. A full time job where you were getting kids like Tari and Burl making thousands of dollars from national contracts and match fees whilst you are in your 30s playing your heart out and scoring runs for 300 dollars a month. Then you don't get picked because the coaches just don't think you fit in the team. Not looking at the stats. It's really painful for these guys. Why would I then hit 300 balls a day if I don't get picked anyway? Might as well have a coaching gig on the side to make some extra money.

I'm sure a guy like Mutizwa must have another job otherwise he would be one depressed individual. In an economy like ours there has to be reward for domestic players otherwise the system will collapse with players walking away to do other jobs Aliseni style. Rewarding Cephas was the right thing to do whether he fails or succeeds.

[Googly]

I partly agree. But let’s not forget that FC has never been fully professional here. Back in the day most people were not full time cricketers, they were semi-pro for want of a better word, and a better economy and companies that had an interest in cricket helped them out and also contributed directly towards the cricket in sponsorship.
I stand to be corrected, but probably the only season that most FC players did moderately well was when Gayle and Lara played in those T20’s here, but even then there’s was an issue as the excuse to pay less, or not at all, was because the overseas guys had taken the lion’s share. There’s always some lame excuse though.
It’s only been more recently that full time cricket has been on the cards, but it’s a stupid situation because you know what you’re supposed to be getting paid, you know you definitely won’t receive it on time or at all, you know that you can’t survive on it, yet you opt to proceed with this career path. That’s down to two things- an expectation that you will get a central contract, or that there are no other options job-wise.
The expectation of getting a call-up is usually unrealistic and a lot of players live in hope. I understand that, you have to give it a go, for a while at least.
The fact that there are few options in the market place for the guys on the FC hamster wheel is very sad.
An upturn in the economy would bizarrely probably initially (that’s a lot of adverbs!) have an adverse effect as people would opt for a job and cricket would only benefit from an improved economy a while later.
FC shouldn’t really exist when players play 4 day cricket for little or no money. It’s ridiculous. How do they support themselves, let alone l their dependants?

[ZIMDOGGY]

I do think the step up is a problem here.
Like Gada mentioned in his article the other day, the fringe players, as in people just on the cusp like Cephas, are working odd jobs during the week to live and cant focus on cricket.

i dont give a f*ck if thats the case for a fringe logan cup player, but seems wrong for guys who are seeded like 16th in the ZC MVP list.
Baasically means only tradies and casual blue collar workers can really live this double life. Others need to make a choice.

Its really good that they seem to have sorted out the pay and stability issues for the top 15 (obvious for every other country, but worthy of a bronx cheer for ZC?) but the 15 guys behind need to be invested in. How can say, Forster Mutizwa go that extra level in his game when he needs to rush home early from training to make his pizza hut home delivery shift?

Thats why I am a believer of a three team FC system with all main guys being proper pro's. Newbs will still get a look in through injuries and national and A player duty.

The numbers of the shallow playing pool allow for this.

[TapsC]

Very true it's a tough one all round. We might need to see an external audit to see where all this money is going. What ever happened to the one ICC requested. I also thought they were high performance contracts for the fringe guys. That used to be there. Like a second tier contract. The top 25 guys should only think about cricket and nothing else.

A FC system with 3 teams is actually possible if you say every team contracts 16 players. That's almost 50 guys. Then maybe create a Semi-pro B league and revive club cricket in Harare and Bulawayo. Half the Midwest Rhinos team live in Harare anyway. Weren't their games being played in Harare too to cut costs this season? Might as well cut them.

On retirement I was just thinking how big of a loss Ray Price was.. What a loss. One of the most unforgivable mistakes by ZC. Herath can play for another year or so and Ray Price is about 2 years older than him. He could have given us another 4/5 years. 80 wickets in 22 games is unheard of in Zimbabwe

[sloandog]

Very true it's a tough one all round. We might need to see an external audit to see where all this money is going. What ever happened to the one ICC requested. I also thought they were high performance contracts for the fringe guys. That used to be there. Like a second tier contract. The top 25 guys should only think about cricket and nothing else.

A FC system with 3 teams is actually possible if you say every team contracts 16 players. That's almost 50 guys. Then maybe create a Semi-pro B league and revive club cricket in Harare and Bulawayo. Half the Midwest Rhinos team live in Harare anyway. Weren't their games being played in Harare too to cut costs this season? Might as well cut them.

On retirement I was just thinking how big of a loss Ray Price was.. What a loss. One of the most unforgivable mistakes by ZC. Herath can play for another year or so and Ray Price is about 2 years older than him. He could have given us another 4/5 years. 80 wickets in 22 games is unheard of in Zimbabwe

Yea he had a golden spell in 2003/04 in test cricket did Razor. Loved it when he made a comeback in 2008, in that orange kit.

I was in a college lecture and saw on the forum 'Price returns to international cricket,' on my phone; I sat up and was glued to the article.

When i saw his first image in the Zimbabwe Orange kit in Kenya during that rain hit series, I was just so so so buzzed! It actually coincided with Gary Brent retiring, so I was happy that one rebel placed another.

Price was so tough and was our only real link to the playing day of the late 90's and the early 2000's after Brent retired. Not so much the playing ability but more the mental attitude of staying fit, working hard and never giving up

[ZIMDOGGY]

Bang on about Ray Price there. He should have been retained and had his swan song at the last World Cup. Could’ve gone instead of Prosper. He still would’ve done the trick.

At the time I said it here and the mood was ‘whatevs’ but on Facebook some people grilled me. Jonty was very adamant he was cooked!

I swear though I think half the problem was when Ray was 34 he looked 54. Moved slow too. He LOOKED old. I think there was another Zimbabwean who looks younger today than in his playing days but can’t recall who. Just remember thinking that.

Btw if anyone has seen the movie ‘scanners’ Michael ironside was only 32. Can’t believe that.

[SpitfiresKent]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/ ... crossroads

Several players, long-tired of the financial crisis that continuously affects their game, have confirmed that if Zimbabwe fail to secure a spot at next year's World Cup, they may look at pursuing their careers outside the country.

[TapsC]

It's very disappointing to here firstly one player already admitting we aren't favourites to qualify by saying the pressure is on the west Indies and Afghanistan and secondly some of the guys wanting to walk away yet they have been performing so dismally. No matter how we look at it this is the strongest side we have had in over a decade. One of the strongest we have ever had. On paper one of the strongest in the tournament. The players are equally responsible for failure this time around. They are even playing at home. The players who would really hurt us walking away would be Raza and Cremer. Those guys play their hearts out.

[ZIMDOGGY]

The walkout movement may not be as bad as you think.
At the end of the day it’s only a tournament.

Something I have ascertained is Bell (medic), ervine, raza, cremer mpofu williams are all good friends.
Taylor and Jarvis are tied in financially.
Cremers the skip and remunerated appropriately you’d think.
That’s 8 taken care of. Chatara I cannot account for, and to be honest hammy, Waller are no losses due to age.

My point is I am thinking and hoping comraderie will keep these people together. This is a big thing.