Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe | Tri Series | 25 Nov 2025 | Rawalpindi

[Googly]

9 degrees there!! Yowzer. I had no idea it got that cold there.

[Pat_Bee]

It’s why you need a Rawalpindi baddie

[sloandog]

If anybody wishes to see hard hitting ability, take a look at Nick Welch's recent Instagram post. Says it all. Technique, time and completely at ease.
If he doesn't play in the 2027 CWC I reckon he'll throw the towel in

[TapsC2]

Truth be told it's almost impossible to make major changes in this squad because the World Cup is 2 months away and we won't have time to try out anyone else with certainty that they will work. The only guy they have clearly shown they will take a chance on is Naqvi if he qualifies in January.

Our World Cup group is also the reason I don't think they will change much. It's going to be chaotic because I believe Ireland can knock over Sri Lanka or Pakistan but at the same time the current squad can probably do the same on their day to all the teams. Pakistan are the only ones who are clear favourites to progress. On paper our guys should be competitive. Williams is the obvious big miss.

After the World Cup we will need a massive rebuild.

[TapsC2]

Realised we have Australia instead of Pakistan. Nobody is beating them.

[Marshmallow]

Could anyone please rectify whether Charles Langeveldt has resigned from the bowling coach job?

[Googly]

NW had an early shot in Namibia where he failed on a wet and doctored pitch alongside everyone else, and didnt play in that ill-fated game where we got knocked out. He may well have been the difference
What he should do is get some clips together of some Big Bash stuff. He's a light year ahead of most of our guys.
There's a clip somewhere of a 150 run partnership with Will Jacks where they were waxing lyrical about Jacks, but NW actually had the same score and strike rate. I remember reading the Surrey article. NW didnt get a mention

The guy who holds his career in his hands is probably Raza, but his MO has been clear from the get-go. Happy to stomp on a top player without a twinge of remorse. Don't buy into his team introspections and analyses, its complete BS, it's only about Team Raza. The day he hangs it up will be the day they have to be realistic about selections. They've relied on him to carry at least half the team for years and he's been more than happy to do it. They will have to earmark another captain fairly soon. Burl looks like the only choice. I watched him giving a bowler advice yesterday and Raza for once had nothing to add. Unless Myers or Madhevere turn it around Burl will be the new man. The cupboard is bare for the next black captain, unless we are at Associate level by then and we are nearly there.

We desperately need to play this final against Pakistan to really drive home where we at. It's not actually in ZC's interests to play another game. and at least 4 players will be delighted if Zim dont play the final.
They desperately want this squad and there will be some noise if they bomb again. For some reason they are not completely immune to it. In a game when even average players will come off occasionally, I almost guarantee the same story, we have players not capable of playing at this level. Rwanda and Kenya- yes, Pakistan- that's a big No. You can give them 300 games and the results will be the same. It's not a crime not to be world class- it's a combination of skill, talent, endless practice and mental fortitude. I'm pretty sure NW has watched these guys failing almost continuously for the last two years and realized he's wasted the last 10 years of his life. More than 200 opportunities have been given to players that are nowhere near his level. He probably needed 10 of these. If you want to talk about mental health, look no further. Imagine putting your life and future in the hands of people who really don't like you. Look no further than that disgracefully doctored T10 selection where he was not considered in the top 30 T20 players in Zim. All Raza had to say was- are u guys joking!! That tells you the whole story. Or at Mountaineers where Chatara has been made captain ahead of him, that's a proper slap in the face.
I see Chatara is bowling himself before the Pakistani who bowls 140 rockets Now that's a lack of self aweness second to none. Theyre not winning nothing unless Welchx2, Frost and Timycen have another great season
Then they might win a trophy in spite of him.
I'm betting the umpires have been given their orders again. The last ones did the rounds so it can't be denied.

Curran is in the same boat, he knows he's better than at least 3 of these players. There's a few others as well, it's not a high bar.

If they stick with Taylor in this format and Munyonga I will be a bit surprised. If we play that final it will probably be last chance saloon for Taylor. Musekiwa somehow has a longer rope, although he did himself no favors yesterday, but that will somehow be overlooked. He has undoubted potential, but as I've said many times- he can't play spin! Dion's internationals have been a bit stop start, which is tough, but he has had 3 dozen opportunites and not taken too many of them of late, he's gotten worse, not better. It has to be pressure.
Maru is our best T20 player in domestic, but for some reason he has consistently been unable to carry this ability into games against the top teams. He has done well against Associate type sides of late, so he's gone up a level, but that final hurdle remains elusive. Maybe that's his ceiling? It doesnt have to be a skill ceiling, it can be a mental one.
You can only be traumatized for so long before you stop believing.

I see Zolsky put up a post telling Tony to stay strong "my boy" and to keep working hard to get his form back and to show what he's made of at the WC. Sorry but Tony's numbers are not bad form. There's way way too many of them. He lacks the ability at this level, it's no more than that. Whilst you may feel for him, because that's a tough pill to swallow, but the pill is a lot more bitter for those better players just watching him fail repeatedly.
I often wonder if those guys failing have enuf self awereness to stop for a second and wonder why the hell they keep getting picked? It would be a bit sad if they genuinely believed they were the best picks.

I think 2 slots may open up and there's no-one on that bench that will fare any better. I dont see Taylor and Munyonga surviving. They'd better pray Sri Lanka beat Pakistan or the pressure will be real! They'll let Munyonga off by benching him Taylor should actually be man enough to recognize this is not his format and step aside...and make a useful recommendation whilst he packs his bags.

If Knackers is available to play come January I would think he will get one of them. That will leave one Hallelujah spot for either Welch, Curran or a completely left field ZC pick.
Wes may find himself back in the mix.
If BT "steps down" they ideally need a keeper/reserve keeper. Madande is there, but shouldn't be. Nothing against him, don't know him from a bar of soap, but once again- he is not and never will be, an international player. If they wanted to bring on a young keeper batsman the two logical choices are Taruvinga or Welch Jr. There's only one winner there.
That old adage of leaving the game in a better place has gone sailing over Taylor's head at about 200kph. This is not his format!

Ya I think in the not too distant future, Welchx2, Frostx2, Campbellx2 will have a rethink. Both Schadendorfs are gone. Taylor is going to have to improve dramatically to be able to hang around until 2027. Williams looks done, Ervine may be able to do another 2 years(but hopefully not), and may well be back in the mix for T20 with the departure of BT and Williams. We could go from having an over-abundance of Pink Rhodesians to literally having 2 or 3 left in 18 months. ZC are praying for that day, so much easier to manage the bad press.
Don't then discount a Ballance recall, he's only 34.
Matt Campbell and Matt Welch may keep interest if they get included in the HPC stuff. If they dont get picked for that I think that's the writing on the wall for them. They will have to get picked ahead of the 40 Chigumbura Academy candidates, but that seems to be the main issue across the board . Blignaut has found the right recipe . It will hopefully backfire.

Taps, there are some big mistakes in selection for this WC side. What the selectors did was to essentially stay with the same squad to give them as much exposure as possible. To get them to admit they blundered after 18 months is well nigh impossible.
I'm pretty sure they knew from the get go that this was not the strongest team, but clearly there's a lot more at stake for them than picking the best side. And it's not real, it's perceived, but it's never going away and it's the reason we are in such dire straits. The desire to have the team of their choice supercedes all else. It's only their axe to grind, the public appear to want a better selection. We're probably gonna lose anyway so lets show the world we have at least taken the game to the people, but we do need another decade as a rebuilding phase. It's not flying.

Nobody at the outset thought that was the best squad, everyone knows that. They were given that squad and told to make them come good. You have to be a bit different as a coach to stay enthusiastic when you're getting humped and you know there are significantly better options Two of the coaching staff have left, that tells you a story. It tells you a bit about Sammonds, Matsi and Ebrahim as well. They've settled in nicely. Theyre in Ratshit territory.

That's what you have to question. Who made those picks?
You would like to believe its not anybody who knows too much because it is just so unlikely to make an "ordinary" cricketer into one that is comfortable at the highest level. Has it ever happened before? Raza can only carry the team at Associate level, beyond that you need others to contribute. Everyone knows what the hierarchy want and the only/best way is to just say what a great idea and blow smoke. If you query it you are asking for trouble.