Bloated squad of 20 for SL Tests

[brmtaylor.com admin]

I have it on good authority that Chigumbura, Sibanda and Jakiel are the non-travelling reserves.

My XI would be:

1. Mawoyo
2. Raza
3. Masakadza
4. Williams
5. Ervine
6. Musakanda
7. Moor (wk)
8. Cremer (c)
9. Tiripano
10. Vitori
11. Mumba

Mawoyo: always reliable for 30 odd, if not more, at the top of the order. Automatic selection as a Test specialist IMO.
Raza: I'd prefer him in the side over Chibhabha or Chari right now, but he's running out of chances. As an opener is the only place I can slot him in.
Masakadza: automatic selection
Williams: automatic selection
Ervine: automatic selection
Musakanda: let's give him a chance and see what happens
Moor: his position is safe
Cremer: automatic selection
Tiripano: we can carry one workhorse seamer, doesn't hurt that he can bat too
Vitori: needs to be in the team
Mumba: let's give him a chance

[Mr Twig]

Following the Pak A series, my XI. Chari, Musakanda, Vitori and Waller should get in based on their recent performances.

Mawoyo / Chibhabha
Chari
Ervine
Musakanda
Williams
Waller
Moor (wk)
Cremer (c)
Tiripano
Vitori
Mumba

[jaybro]

Chari still worries me against quality pace his feet don't move .....

[Jemisi]

I have it on good authority that Chigumbura, Sibanda and Jakiel are the non-travelling reserves.

My XI would be:

1. Mawoyo
2. Raza
3. Masakadza
4. Williams
5. Ervine
6. Musakanda
7. Moor (wk)
8. Cremer (c)
9. Tiripano
10. Vitori
11. Mumba

Mawoyo: always reliable for 30 odd, if not more, at the top of the order. Automatic selection as a Test specialist IMO.
Raza: I'd prefer him in the side over Chibhabha or Chari right now, but he's running out of chances. As an opener is the only place I can slot him in.
Masakadza: automatic selection
Williams: automatic selection
Ervine: automatic selection
Musakanda: let's give him a chance and see what happens
Moor: his position is safe
Cremer: automatic selection
Tiripano: we can carry one workhorse seamer, doesn't hurt that he can bat too
Vitori: needs to be in the team
Mumba: let's give him a chance

Pretty much this.

[watermelon]

Cremer an automatic selection?! A guy who averages close to 100 with the ball against top 8 opposition is an automatic selection? Mawoyo could roll his arm over and probably have more success than Cremer. Cremer has used his connections to get into the team and be captain while far more talented players are toiling away in domestic cricket and being ignored. We have at least 10 spinners who are better than Cremer and more deserving of a place.

-watermelon.

[Jemisi]

Currently Cremer is the captain and one of the few with any experience. He can bat and catch. He can improve for sure, but he has over 300 FC wickets. There are not 10 better spinners than him. Mufudza and Wellington are rivals for the future, but no one else is threatening at the moment.

[CrimsonAvenger]

If you are a conspiracy theorist a la bayhaus, it is not difficult to come up with a theory that questions the spinner development happening in our A team selections. Even in the last Pak A match, clearly Nyumbu was not the best spinner we could have given a go to stake claim (and he failed as expected, and his form has been poor for more than a season now). It appears as if "potentially" better spinners in Wellington, Mufudza and Munyede are not getting enough opportunities to try and prove that they are better than Cremer. And it is not difficult to manufacture a lack of competition to that role in this manner. Not claiming that they are doing that, but it is possible.

I would have personally selected Mufudza for the second Pak A match as the lone spinner.

[foreignfield]

Chari still worries me against quality pace his feet don't move .....

Me too.

It's difficult to tell if anything has changed as his A team hundreds have not been televised. He probably deserves a chance on the back of those performances, but I have no great confidence that he will better his FC average on the international stage. Back when we saw him there he also seemed to be possesed by tremendous stage fright ... but that's one thing that can be got over, technical deficencies are another matter (not that PJ isn't flat-footed too against pace ... but at least we're not playing him at the top of the order).

[zimfan1]

Brian Vitori is unlikely to play in the two Tests as the bowler is said to have told Streak that he does not feel that he is ready for the challenges brought about by the prolonged version of the game at international level

[Detective RDS]

1. Tinotenda Mawoyo
2. Sikander Raza
3. Hamilton Masakadza
4. Sean Williams
5. Craig Ervine
6. Malcolm Waller
7. Peter Moor (WK)
8. Graeme Cremer (C)
9. Donald Tiripano
10. Christopher Mpofu
11. Carl Mumba