Zimbabwe's IPL players

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I don't know the exact dates of either series, but judging from your post they clash. International duties come before IPL duties. Having said that, of course the Indians will play in the IPL before they play Zimbabwe. The way I see it, one of two things will happen.

1) India cancel or postpone indefinitely the series and Zimbabwe gets a financial incentive for working with the BCCI and not kicking up a fuss (most likely option, IMO)
2) India send a 4th eleven to play Zimbabwe, and sadly if this is the case they will probably still be favourites

[Train Driver]

The IPL fixtures are shown as starting on April 18th and continuing until the Final on 1st June.

The Indian tour of Zimbabwe is missing from the cricinfo Future Tours Programme, and has been for a while. I would assume that even if Zim are not ready for Test cricket India would still have visited for the ODI series.

In an interview that Robin Brown gave, and naturally I can't find at the moment , I am certain that he talked confidently of this series going ahead in May.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I remember the interview. Personally, I'm pretty confident Zimbabwe will return to Tests in May (providing India tour, of course). Chingoka and co. can't hold off any longer really, they need to get the boys on the park and batting through a few days to alleviate any pressure on their positions.

Realistically, Zimbabwe will be thrashed in their first Test back. The sad thing is, if the batsmen click they could easily score 400+ against any opposition. Taylor is more than capable of scoring 60 or 70 as an opener, in fact I think he's scored a few 50's against India in Tests in 2005. Sibanda I don't think should play Tests, he seems more of a ODI specialist, but regardless there is no reason why he can't score 20 or 30. We know Williams, Masakadza and Taibu are all capable of scoring hundreds, and we have a strong tail consisting of (hopefully) Chigumbura, Cremer and Utseya - three players who can be classed as allrounders.

Anyway, to be competitive in their first Test back, they need to score at least 250 batting first. Under 200 is not really acceptable I think, despite what is going on in Bangladesh at the moment. Harare is a good batting pitch.

The key for Zimbabwe is to bat for a long time. We see Masakadza scoring at ridiculously low strike rates in ODI's (although in fairness, he's improved on that recently), if he can transfer that into the Test arena we are laughing. Masakadza might actually be a good choice for opener in Tests, even though he shouldn't open in ODI's IMO.

[Train Driver]

Just had a look at the last Test that Zim played, against India at Harare in september 2005.

BrendanTaylor, Terry Duffin, Dion Ebrahim, Tatenda Taibu, Hamilton Masakadza, Heath Streak, Charles Coventry, Andy Blignaut, Keith Dabengwa, Blessing Mahwire & Waddington Mwayenga.

Although it was over in 3 days Zim could, and should, have done far better, a pretty poor 161 in the 1st innings was followed by India reaching 198-1 until Streak hit form and took 6-73 removing India for 366. The 2nd innings was another shambles at 42-5 until Coventry and Masakadza dug in for a while, Masakadza and Blignaut then took the score onto 201-6 before things folded up again at 223, at least India did have to bat again though.

I remember following the score on cricinfo and that brilliant over where Blignaut was dropped 3 times in consecutive balls.

I think that if Zim played another Test tomorrow then it would be the batting that would be more reliable, certainly more so than in 2005. My worry now would be the bowling, Ray Price would be a great asset in Tests of course but where is the strike bowler to take the wickets that Streak used to, Rainsford ?, Mupariwa ?, Mahwire ?, unless someone comes through then opposition sides are going to run up big scores.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

That's spot on, we have no strike bowler.

The following players we have lost from that team you listed: Ebrahim, Streak, Coventry, Blignaut, Mwayenga
On the flip side, we have gained: Sibanda, Williams, Brent, Chigumbura, Utseya and Price - which arguably, is a slight gain. Streak is irreplaceable, but Chigumbura is one of the most underrated players in the world.

I think our side now would definitely beat 161, as I said they should make 250 but they are capable of much more. Even if we could drag a Test into the fourth day I think we'd be doing well. As long as we don't lose by an innings I suppose, "India win by 5 wickets" is much more respectable than "India win by an innings and 399 runs"

[maehara]

Not IPL, but ICL - Heath Streak has apparently signed for the breakaway Indian Cricket League, according to the Sunday News. No word yet on which franchise he'll be playing for.

[maehara]

1) India cancel or postpone indefinitely the series and Zimbabwe gets a financial incentive for working with the BCCI and not kicking up a fuss (most likely option, IMO)

Don't think that would happen, actually - ZC are desperate to make sure England fulfil their tour in 2012 (as much to embarrass them as anything else, I suspect), if they allow anyone else to postpone in the interim it would give the ECB some wriggle room. I reckon ZC will make sure that anyone scheduled to tour Zim will tour.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

1) India cancel or postpone indefinitely the series and Zimbabwe gets a financial incentive for working with the BCCI and not kicking up a fuss (most likely option, IMO)

Don't think that would happen, actually - ZC are desperate to make sure England fulfil their tour in 2012 (as much to embarrass them as anything else, I suspect), if they allow anyone else to postpone in the interim it would give the ECB some wriggle room. I reckon ZC will make sure that anyone scheduled to tour Zim will tour.

Money talks, and BCCI have a lot of bargaining power remember...

[CrimsonAvenger]

Not IPL, but ICL - Heath Streak has apparently signed for the breakaway Indian Cricket League, according to the Sunday News. No word yet on which franchise he'll be playing for.

Now, I can't help but watch the ICL. If Streaky can reproduce the batting and bowling form he showed while playing for All Stars team in Hong Kong Sixes, then we are in for a feast. But this move has quashed the glimmer of hope I had of seeing Streak in Zimbabwean colours again.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Not IPL, but ICL - Heath Streak has apparently signed for the breakaway Indian Cricket League, according to the Sunday News. No word yet on which franchise he'll be playing for.

Now, I can't help but watch the ICL. If Streaky can reproduce the batting and bowling form he showed while playing for All Stars team in Hong Kong Sixes, then we are in for a feast. But this move has quashed the glimmer of hope I had of seeing Streak in Zimbabwean colours again.

The hope is still there. The precedent is Mohammed Yousef.