Improving the domestic system

[Tinah09]

A lot of good ideas on here, I agree with bits of suggestions from various posters. Having some countie chaps, perhaps some top associate players in our league is the easiest and fastest way to improve its quality. Maybe cap it at 3 international players per team…also a mandatory quota system I.e 2 players under 21 in each team at all times. The other 6 spots filled by national team hopefuls. Your perennial domestic strugglers can provide cover for injuries etc.

Most importantly we need a genuine A team (no one over 25-6 in this team, 90% must be U21, don’t make this a thing for Maruma and Chibhabha to get a paycheque) to participate in regional cricket leagues e.g the Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape or Gautng provincial leagues. I don’t see SA cricket allowing Zim in its current state to participate in its elite domestic leagues. We can also send a team like this to zindian regional leagues. This is to say, the cost of living is comparatively low in SA and India compared to England, our teams can survive with modest stipends.As good as it’ll be to tangle with county teams, the cost of merely being in the UK is prohibitive

[Googly]

I don't agree with 90% being u21. It's not specifically youth that we need. There are some good players of all ages that will benefit and hopefully improve with tougher cricket.

If you're earning 300-1000 a month you're not focusing on cricket, you're hustling for extra money elsewhere and then playing some cricket because you need the money and it's obvious because these franchise games lack intensity. It's a bunch of guys going through the motions.

The level of umpiring is rank, Billy The Kid was less trigger happy than these guys. Do we have any sort of training for umpires? Wrong decisions can mess a batsman's career opportunities. It's as if they've pulled some guys off the street and been told to put their finger up if the ball hits the pads, and then been given a list of guys that that doesn't apply to. I once watched a trial game and heard a player tell the umpire that they'd seen enuf of this batsman and he got triggered next over. There's some shameless shit that goes on here. Who monitors these $20 a day demi-Gods? How many shit decisions can you make before you get permanently sacked?

[CholeZimbo]

Imagine if this discussion was an actual ZC brainstorming session. Forgive me, but in general, Zim organizations lack innovation and fresh ideas. The next step for this forum is to get into the faces of ZC somehow. That is why having new people on here might get us closer to the decision makers. Even it means them adopting some of the ideas here and give no credit, it will still be fine if they implement a few cause the clueless folk there need all the consulting as possible to keep the game alive.

https://zimcricket.org/news/

Zimbabwe Cricket
Address: Zimbabwe Cricket Harare Sports Club
Corner Josiah Tongogara Avenue/Fifth StreetHarare
P.O. Box 2739
Harare, Zimbabwe
Telephone: +263-4-788090/5, 776661/2
Fax: +263-4-788094
E-mail: info@zimcricket.org

[ZIMDOGGY]

Imagine if this discussion was an actual ZC brainstorming session. Forgive me, but in general, Zim organizations lack innovation and fresh ideas. The next step for this forum is to get into the faces of ZC somehow. That is why having new people on here might get us closer to the decision makers. Even it means them adopting some of the ideas here and give no credit, it will still be fine if they implement a few cause the clueless folk there need all the consulting as possible to keep the game alive.

https://zimcricket.org/news/

Zimbabwe Cricket
Address: Zimbabwe Cricket Harare Sports Club
Corner Josiah Tongogara Avenue/Fifth StreetHarare
P.O. Box 2739
Harare, Zimbabwe
Telephone: +263-4-788090/5, 776661/2
Fax: +263-4-788094
E-mail: info@zimcricket.org

There’s probably a bunch of cunts chomping at the bit and ready to unleash here to help out and fight the good fight but what good is it if no mods come on to approve the accounts.

[CalZim]

The level of umpiring is rank, Billy The Kid was less trigger happy than these guys. Do we have any sort of training for umpires? Wrong decisions can mess a batsman's career opportunities. It's as if they've pulled some guys off the street and been told to put their finger up if the ball hits the pads, and then been given a list of guys that that doesn't apply to. I once watched a trial game and heard a player tell the umpire that they'd seen enuf of this batsman and he got triggered next over. There's some shameless shit that goes on here. Who monitors these $20 a day demi-Gods? How many shit decisions can you make before you get permanently sacked?

I completely disagree with this statement, I don’t know where you get this assumption. I have watched the majority of first class games this season and barring the odd mistake (natural) I think the standard of umpiring is actually really good.

We now have umpires that are taking part in international games as well, Langton and Iknow. We will probably have more if they continue to show what they can do.

I think your statement is wrong and unnecessary. Unless I am misinterpreting it and you are discussing club matches. Even then you are never going get decent club match umpires, even in the UK they are awful, but they do it more as a hobby because they get paid next to nothing.

[CalZim]

Chris Phiri has stood a few t20 internationals as well, he has done a decent job.

[Googly]

Langton is excellent, no issues there, world class.
The fact remains there are lots of poor decisions at franchise level. Lots!! Ask the players.
Club cricket is disastrous and just as bad in England, doddering blind old guys that cant see the end of the pitch and whose only interest is how good the tea is.

[secretzimbo]

Langton is a great umpire, looked as good as anyone at the World T20. Where did he learn? As I understand it the top member countries have extensive umpire education and assessment programmes nowadays. We have nothing of the kind at all. Rusere must just be a natural!

I've seen some howlers on the Logan Cup/Pro50 streams for sure. But not necessarily much worse than domestic cricket in other places. The standard is sort of okay.


We always just think of players, and sometimes coaches. But a good cricketing system needs the full infrastructure - good quality umpires, groundsmen, curators, even scorers. They are all part of the infrastructure, and we have basically nothing in place for most of these. They shouldn't be overlooked. These things are what the massive ICC grant is supposed to cover.

[secretzimbo]

Imagine if this discussion was an actual ZC brainstorming session. Forgive me, but in general, Zim organizations lack innovation and fresh ideas. The next step for this forum is to get into the faces of ZC somehow. That is why having new people on here might get us closer to the decision makers. Even it means them adopting some of the ideas here and give no credit, it will still be fine if they implement a few cause the clueless folk there need all the consulting as possible to keep the game alive.

https://zimcricket.org/news/

Zimbabwe Cricket
Address: Zimbabwe Cricket Harare Sports Club
Corner Josiah Tongogara Avenue/Fifth StreetHarare
P.O. Box 2739
Harare, Zimbabwe
Telephone: +263-4-788090/5, 776661/2
Fax: +263-4-788094
E-mail: info@zimcricket.org

You're right, but they won't listen. Guys at the top of ZC monitor this forum from time to time, but nothing much ever changes. I'd love to send my post from the first page with the 4 points, but they probably wouldn't listen. Plus, they'd know my email address and name and I don't fancy that

[CalZim]

Langton is excellent, no issues there, world class.
The fact remains there are lots of poor decisions at franchise level. Lots!! Ask the players.
Club cricket is disastrous and just as bad in England, doddering blind old guys that cant see the end of the pitch and whose only interest is how good the tea is.

I think that it’s not just Langton, a few others have been really good the last couple of seasons.

Players are always going to moan about the umpires and decisions that haven’t gone their way. I definitely see improvement in the standard. I wouldn’t say that umpiring is affecting any player development.

I’m not saying it’s world class though, but you only have to look at the Aussie leagues, their umpires are worse than ours, the BBL has been a joke.

Blind club umpires will always exist, I know from experience. In fairness it made me stronger as a batsmen, it made me stronger against anything on my pads, as I knew if it hit me I was out.

I just don’t see umpiring being an issue. That is my opinion though would love to hear other people’s thoughts as well