Zimbabwe Vs West Indies | 2nd Test | 12-16 Feb 2023 | Bulawayo

[Googly]

Bennett I believe is going to a club in Derbyshire, probably organised by DH, for their summer. I would take an educated guess that he's going to give it a real shot here.
He's a 4-6 bat so he's going to have to really do well over the next couple of seasons to get a shot. He's an excellent prospect though. Not quite where Madhevere was at the same age, has had less opportunity, but I believe can go further, there's something about him. The problem with English club cricket is that the teams are part timers, they practice a couple of nights a week. Is that enough?
If he stayed here he would have the Vigne Cup and then the NPL and as many throwdowns as he liked. And here is where you get noticed.
If he's in a prem side it's good cricket, any divisions below and the standard is not as good. English club cricket is almost a right of passage, you have to do it if you get the opportunity.

Matt W has been plagued by bad injuries, a back problem which is disastrous because it probably takes keeping out of the equation and its where the gap is, then a broken hand and now a mystery thumb problem which they can't get to the bottom of. He practices daily, batting with one hand
But he is committed to giving it a go to see if he's got what it takes. He's basically missed a year of cricket through injuries, that's a long time.

They both had limited opportunities due to Covid affecting school cricket, that's 2 years wasted right in the middle of a very important phase in their development.

I've said this before- I don't know any younger players than them that are anywhere near their level of ability. There's now a big gap in the already sparse production line. Realistically it may be a few years before another good kid comes along. SZ may disagree, but the crisis of shocking school cricket is upon us.

[Googly]

It’s great that Bennett has been playing. Let’s hope he sticks around but it’s difficult on $500 a month. You have to be really really motivated to tough it out like he needs to, especially when he has other life options.

This will prove to be the demise of Zim cricket, mark my words. If they persist in paying up-and-coming players 300-500 bucks for 4 months of the year nobody with an option will hang around for long. Either somebody has to support them for a couple of years or they have no option but to move on if they have an option.
The dirt poor lads will hang in and we will continue our inexorable decline.
Their wish list is a dozen dirt poor Brian Lara's and Curtley Ambrose's stuck interminably on the ZC hamster wheel doffing their caps and tugging their forelocks but they don't exist, they're pink unicorns.

Houghton has thrown ZC a lifeline and they need to rethink a few things whilst there's some optimism, but I'm sure ZC are too greedy and short sighted to recognize that we're teetering on the edge. Our second string guys don't cut it, they're OK, but they're a yard short and they won't close that gap and there are better options than to keep reshuffling the deck chairs. We can play any Associate side without our big players and the results will be the same as today, never mind a member nation.

[Googly]

It would be interesting to know who's on a Central Contract with all this reshuffling.
If Madhevere and Shumba have to cool their heels in domestic do they stay contracted?
I'm willing to bet my house Evans and Nyauchi are not on a Central Contract.
How many internationals do you play before you get offered a liveable salary- if you're single and have no aspirations to move out of your tent?

[secretzimbo]

I've said this before- I don't know any younger players than them that are anywhere near their level of ability. There's now a big gap in the already sparse production line. Realistically it may be a few years before another good kid comes along. SZ may disagree, but the crisis of shocking school cricket is upon us.

Ya it's not great. The quality of cricket on show in the T20 festivals a month or two back was highly alarming. What's even more alarming is that the SA schools weren't that much better

The upside is that at least there is quite a bit of schools cricket going on at the moment, maybe the most for about 5 years or so. If you can't have quality then at least have quantity. Also positive to see some 2nd tier schools playing cricket again for the first time in a while.

As well, the next u19 batch (2024) have the benefit of a full programme - they've already been to SA and India and there's still 11 months to go. The last batch had absolutely nothing. So that may help bridge the gap? My expectations are quite low but the last batch underperformed and ended up 12th. It shouldn't be too hard to improve even marginally on that, with the preparation and attention this next batch are getting in comparison.

Mudenda was spectacular a few years ago but he's gone to SA and I've no idea if he has progressed. There's quite a few others in SA too on scholarships. Taruvinga is/was highly rated, was very young last time - may do better next time around. Sunguro, Nyamhuri Sr, and I think Nzvenga are others to look out for in SA schools. Campbell MacMillan has had a good year and there is an Indian-origin opener who did well on the tour to India itself. Theres a few others at schools here who may do okay but maybe the current low quality of school cricket makes them look better than they are.

With the ball, Shungu and Mhlanga have already recently played Logan Cup for Mountaineers. Schonken should do very well.

So it's not a complete disaster. Although an 11th place finish will be an achievement!

[Jemisi]

Raza playing actual T20 is one thing, but playing that OTHER T20 comp that exists solely for gambling instead of a test against the Windies is really disappointing. And yes it has been said here plenty but I just feel like saying it again after this batting performance. I mean we managed to keep them to under 300 and lose by an innings at the same time.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Honestly we need to ask soem hard questions on why we have so many injuries all the time.
There needs to be an in depth investigation.

It’s bloody cricket ffs. A non contact sport.
It’s extremely rare for batsmen to miss games yet we can have 2/3 out at once.

Even high intensity and impact NFL, NRL etc will not be missing so many.

It’s not age either as it’s happened to us the last ten years.

[Donald]

The signs were there for all to see in the warm up match what happens when you select these calibre of players. Shumba Makoni and friends all failing.
Notably the one player to stand up was Maruma and he wasnt selected.
Campbell can count himself unfortunate not to be selected.

[Donald]

Steven Saul looked like a prospect Googly

Is he still about?

[andrewn9]

The signs were there for all to see in the warm up match what happens when you select these calibre of players. Shumba Makoni and friends all failing.
Notably the one player to stand up was Maruma and he wasnt selected.
Campbell can count himself unfortunate not to be selected.

Maruma is not the answer. To any question. Ever.

[CrimsonAvenger]

The signs were there for all to see in the warm up match what happens when you select these calibre of players. Shumba Makoni and friends all failing.
Notably the one player to stand up was Maruma and he wasnt selected.
Campbell can count himself unfortunate not to be selected.

Maruma is not the answer. To any question. Ever.

He is, apparently. The question is:

Who averages 11.03 with the bat across formats over 39 matches for Zim spread across 15 years?