How good are we at test cricket?

[TapsC]

Its crazy to actually think we won an away test yet we wont be in the test league. For me personally I think the test league should really be split into 2 proper divisions.
India SA Australia and England are clearly stronger than everybody else. I would add Pakistan and NZ to them. Everybody else I think are fair game away from their home bases.

We wont really improve just playing Afghanistan and Ireland. That boxing day test is the kind of stuff you need to experience to make you tough but we only get to experience that once in a while.

What makes us better in tests is that we have batsmen more suited for long innings with no scoreboard pressure. To think that we can add Mawoyo Cremer Burl, Mumba Ervine and Murray into the starting xi that won that test is crazy. That was far from our best xi.

Although I must add the reason why Bangladesh got better is because they found an identity and conditions that suit them. If we are really ever going to compete at a higher level we need to identify our ideal conditions and back ourselves from there.

[jaybro]

Its crazy to actually think we won an away test yet we wont be in the test league. For me personally I think the test league should really be split into 2 proper divisions.
India SA Australia and England are clearly stronger than everybody else. I would add Pakistan and NZ to them. Everybody else I think are fair game away from their home bases.

We wont really improve just playing Afghanistan and Ireland. That boxing day test is the kind of stuff you need to experience to make you tough but we only get to experience that once in a while.

What makes us better in tests is that we have batsmen more suited for long innings with no scoreboard pressure. To think that we can add Mawoyo Cremer Burl, Mumba Ervine and Murray into the starting xi that won that test is crazy. That was far from our best xi.

Although I must add the reason why Bangladesh got better is because they found an identity and conditions that suit them. If we are really ever going to compete at a higher level we need to identify our ideal conditions and back ourselves from there.

I agree and disagree

I agree they need to find themselves an identity and I think it should be to play hard and fast cricket on fast decks for many reasons

Better brand of cricket which will attract kids and fans to the game

Gives them a better advantage when facing Asian sides which predominantly who they play

I think they should turn the HSC pitches into hard and fast decks because that is where they play most of their games anyway, QSC can stay as is so when NZ or Windies tour they still have the option to nullify the pace attacks of those sides.

I disagree about having the two tiers of test cricket, if that happens Zimbabwe will never play the top sides, they really needed to insist they be included in the Test Championship. A couple of big losses overseas is no big deal it’s happened before and Zimbabwe have gotten over it, the advantages of playing regular tests against the top sides would out weight the negatives of the odd big loss.

[eugene]

When Zimbabwe loses big it is because we shouldn't be playing tests, when Australia loses big it is because the opposition are awesome or the conditions were foreign - such double standards. If the West Indies are in the test championship I see no reason for us not to be.

[jaybro]

When Zimbabwe loses big it is because we shouldn't be playing tests, when Australia loses big it is because the opposition are awesome or the conditions were foreign - such double standards. If the West Indies are in the test championship I see no reason for us not to be.

+1

The board should have dug their heels in and demanded Zimbabwe were included in the Test Championship, once again they let the rest of the world put them in the wilderness

[jaybro]

Zimbabwe got stictched up so bad in that infamous pink ball test, there’s no way they should have agreed to such terms and put themselves in the position to get humiliated without getting anything in return.

South Africa needed Zimbabwe to play that test because no one else wanted to so they really should have asked for something else in return.

More warm up games under lights
A normal red ball test prior to the day/night one
A short ODI series (would have been good prep with qualifiers around the corner)
A return tour of Zimbabwe the next year or so

They got nothing for coming over and were always on a hiding to nothing

[Mr Twig]

Zimbabwe got stictched up so bad in that infamous pink ball test, there’s no way they should have agreed to such terms and put themselves in the position to get humiliated without getting anything in return.

South Africa needed Zimbabwe to play that test because no one else wanted to so they really should have asked for something else in return.

More warm up games under lights
A normal red ball test prior to the day/night one
A short ODI series (would have been good prep with qualifiers around the corner)
A return tour of Zimbabwe the next year or so

They got nothing for coming over and were always on a hiding to nothing

Zimbabwe did play a D/N tour match prior to that Test, which they managed to lose. http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/1806 ... 17-2017-18

Zim are crying out for most Test cricket so they did get something out of it.

[jaybro]

Zimbabwe got stictched up so bad in that infamous pink ball test, there’s no way they should have agreed to such terms and put themselves in the position to get humiliated without getting anything in return.

South Africa needed Zimbabwe to play that test because no one else wanted to so they really should have asked for something else in return.

More warm up games under lights
A normal red ball test prior to the day/night one
A short ODI series (would have been good prep with qualifiers around the corner)
A return tour of Zimbabwe the next year or so

They got nothing for coming over and were always on a hiding to nothing

Zimbabwe did play a D/N tour match prior to that Test, which they managed to lose. http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/1806 ... 17-2017-18

Zim are crying out for most Test cricket so they did get something out of it.

Clearly wasn’t enough

Even before the match was played I said ZC should have asked for more, considering South Africa are a much better side in any conditions than Zimbabwe throwing them into a day night pink ball test with 1 warm up game wasn’t fair.

I’m sure the margin of the result would have been different if Zimbabwe were given 3 or even 4 pink ball warm up games prior. Even from a South African point of view this was their marquee match, they were desperate to have a day night test on Boxing Day, if I were them I would have wanted better competition so it was in their best interest to have Zimbabwe as well prepared as possible.

When you consider India refuse to play a pink ball test against England, South Africa or Australia it shows how stupid Zimbabwe were to accept it under such poor conditions.

[jaybro]

Also losing the toss really hurt big time in that test, if Zimbabwe won the toss and batted first who knows they might have batted out the first two sessions got to anywhere from 180-230, then bowled with a new ball in the last session under lights. They might have even bowled South Africa out cheaply or for a similar total which would have eliminated the innings defeat.

Obviously Zimbabwe didn’t have the same attack as South Africa but I’m sure Jarvis, Mpofu and Blessing would have been difficult to deal with in such conditions.

[Kriterion_BD]

+1

The board should have dug their heels in and demanded Zimbabwe were included in the Test Championship, once again they let the rest of the world put them in the wilderness

The ZC I think were more than happy to forfeit their Test status and get cut out of the World Test Championship. IIRC, during the 2014 Big 3 takeover, the ZC had sided with the BCCI/Big 3 but the BCB bargained to reinstate Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and have that Test Challenge instituted. Of course I think the BCCI was just playing everyone in order to get what they wanted - which they did till the Manohar led ICC abrogated the Big 3 takeover.

[jaybro]

+1

The board should have dug their heels in and demanded Zimbabwe were included in the Test Championship, once again they let the rest of the world put them in the wilderness

The ZC I think were more than happy to forfeit their Test status and get cut out of the World Test Championship. IIRC, during the 2014 Big 3 takeover, the ZC had sided with the BCCI/Big 3 but the BCB bargained to reinstate Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and have that Test Challenge instituted. Of course I think the BCCI was just playing everyone in order to get what they wanted - which they did till the Manohar led ICC abrogated the Big 3 takeover.

That’s the problem they don’t care about the game and know how to improve the game, they think by not having to play the big teams but getting a few scraps here or there from India is ok as long as they’re getting a free handout 🤬🤬🤬

They’re parading themselves around (the current board) saying they’ve saved the game in Zimbabwe and secured a ‘bright future’ that’s all rubbish they’ve just agreed to severe cost cuts enforced by the ICC and will run the game within the the restraints of the budget.

This means less cricket for the national team, less domestic cricket and less development, how that is seen as a bright future I don’t know? Until ZC finds people who can actual produce revenue from the game nothing will ever change, yes the ICC grants will always be the main body of the financial revenue, but earning extra revenue from hosting the bigger nations is the extra cream on top needed to improve the game.