Race Storm Hits Zim Cricket

[hhm]

...we all need to be honest, accept past has been wrong and needs to be fixed to include the blacks, but care needs to be taken that we don't treat symptoms (quotas) but rather root causes (grass roots, with a focus on sustainability and a genuine passion for the game, and making, not forcing, an inclusive structure)...Racism is raicism irregardless of the perpetrator. Its a pity we only focus on white racism and forget there is black racism. For me reverse racism only serves to foster and perpetuate ill feelings (from both ends). If we were all genuine we would rather have a clear road map to see greater (organic/natural) and hence sustainable growth of the sport in the black part of the country.

Right now you can easily field an almost entirely black side that can better all the results since our Test return:
Mawoyo, Vusi, Hami, Taylor(c), Chakabva, Mutumbami(wk), Elton, Panyangara, Mpofu, Mushangwe, Vitori
and still have Chatara, Maruma, Shingi, Mutombodzi, Matsi, Chibhabha, Muzhange, Chinouya, Kasuza, Utseya & Mutizwa on the sidelines. Even Taibu can afford to retire.

Results have shown that the likes of Cremer, Price, Craig, Waller & Jarvis have little justifiable claim, if at all that they do indeed bring discernible value and results to the team, at both international and domestic level. An undercooked Williams runs the risk of completely taking himself out of the equation(just like the Coventry experiment).

My point being a Zim with only Brendon Taylor as the white player, cannot be termed racist. It's as good as the best Zim can assemble because Black talent and competition has grown leaps and bounds for it to be suppressed by certain elements who want to preserve 4/5 spots for white players who aren't performing. Some say we've grown in he number of players but our depth is shallow, but when I cast my eyes to the number of ducks say Craig-Waller-Williams have collected, it's probably higher than the next number of 3 top black batsmen you can put together, and they're not even opening! There is not depth to speak of. The bulk of guys in the squad are as poor, if not worse, than a lot of those who were left out!

At times even certain preferred white players are being put in ahead of other deserving white players who've delivered at domestic level. How on earth can Williams who came from nowhere, be fast-tracked so quickly when Ewing(barring injury) has been knocking on the door? Secondly how can Craig, who's been among the worst performing batsmen in the Logan Cup, be selected ahead of Duffin who's been outperforming him and bringing clear results to the team? They are victims of these clandestine intentions. Even Coventry may play a Test ahead of them!

My answer to you is they look at the age, decide if one of those two senior players fails, then there's a high chance a black player(Chibhabha, Kasuza etc) will be selected. We'd rather stick to the young guns, and stand by their mediocrity!

[Jemisi]

Mawoyo
Vusi
Hami
Taylor
Williams
Waller
Chakabva
Price
Cremer
Jarvis
Mpofu

5 blacks, 6 whites - all deserving of a place. Switch one of the spinners for another seamer, and you have 6 blacks, 5 whites.

There are no black spinners superior to Price and Cremer, so on merit that slot is going to be white.

There are no white openers superior to Vusi and Tino, so on merit those slots are going to be black.

There are no white keepers superior to Regis, so on merit that slot is going to be black.

The only other black middle order batsman who compares in quality to Williams, Ervine, Waller, is Mutizwa, and he is out of form. So the two middle order spots will on merit be white atm.

Hami and Taylor pick themselves, no one is challenging their spots on merit.


What that means is that before you get to the seamers, there are 4 white and 4 black spots on merit.

Aside from Hhm's hatred, Jarvis is as good as we have and is in on merit. With Querl's chucking question marks, the only other white seamer to challenge for a place on merit is Meth. Which means you are likely to have two black seamers.

6 blacks, 5 whites, all justified on merit. I'm not sure if there is a deal over race, or whatever, not sure about the validity of the conspiracy theories, but I can't see heaps of players being excluded because of their skin shade, Coventry isn't good enough, just like Matsi.

[hhm]

Ervine, Waller - ONLY middle order quality! You forget Matsi & Chibhabha. In fact, both those two and Mutizwa, are higher ranked FC batsmen than Craig right now!

I won’t give you the stats - that’ll be up to you to put together for yourself so you can corroborate your fictional statements!

15 innings is enough data to judge a batsman on, and over the last 9 rounds of Logan Cup matches, Ervine is the lowest ranked batsman out of the lot that can be considered for the national team. To compare him to the batsmen or all-rounders is an insult, try the bowlers, and even then he fares badly!

Of the 7 limited overs matches Zimbabwe played, Waller is the worst performing batsman - behind even Matsi who didn’t play as much - and yet those are the very kind of results that got Mutizwa dropped from the national team! His double-ton was very timely indeed because without it, he was threatening the Craig regions. Actually, FC aside, at least Craig has something in T20 & List A. After he was dropped for Matsi in the T20 World Cup, Waller had nothing – and secretly he knows it. Pathetic international & domestic figures, so bad that, unless you’re a desperate white selector, the double-ton doesn’t even make up for his selection, nor justify it.(Just to help you against my intention - a healthy 138 runs in 11 domestic T20/Pro50 innings at an average of 12.5), but he makes a few people's ODI/T20 XIs without blinking!

Quality has never been associated with such unexceptional stats, so if you apply it to those two, then that middle order bracket just got bigger! Maruma, Mutumbami & Kasuza make the list comfortably as well!

Williams on the other hand, is quality, but he’s in a team where he’s been coming in after Duffin, Ali & Sean Ervine. After such a long lay-off, regularly batting as low as six, it can’t be said that he’s been tested by a new ball or the local seamers at their freshest! His employers at the Tuskers are waiting until the end of the season to see if they can give him a contract, and haven’t played him beyond one T20 game(where he got another one of his ducks, among MANY low scores), but a few elements in the selection committee haven't wasted time selecting him! Make no mistake, I like him, but wouldn't risk him embarrassing himself against fiery pace, and falling off the radar. Since you guys are averse to white players being dropped, even when it's justified, they run the risk of their being completely rotated out of the side on merit!

Don’t get me started on Cremer and Price. Price has been horrible and many have quite rightly said as much in match threads. Cremer undercooked, hasn’t played, and been expensive without threatening when he has played. After an ill-advised appearance in the NZ Test, he was comfortably outperformed by a junior in his last FC match as well to underline just how far behind he was from the required level(the gap could've been worse if the tailenders hadn’t co-operated). Anyway, not that it concerns an intelligent cricket fan like you one bit, but I’ve already mentioned elsewhere that he hasn’t played a single ODI/FC match for close to a year! There is a reason why Utseya is still ranked in the top 40 ODI bowlers, Cremer nowhere near the top 100, and in definite danger of falling further away from it at the end of the WI tour, while Price is sliding down thick and fast!

In terms of economy you’d be hard-pressed to say Price would do a better job than Utseya right now, and age guarantees that fact won't change. The last time Price took 3 wickets in the past 2 years, was against Canada or in conceding a big total towards a loss to the Bangladeshis when he was entrusted to do the opposite. Prosper on the other hand, brought us victory in that same Bangladesh series(a good example of a match which shows four out of your six - Taylor, Jarvis, Price & Craig - all adding no value to the team's win); as well as recently in NZ when he arrested their charge. Again in terms of wickets, you cannot argue unquestionably that Cremer promises more wickets than Mushangwe. Not long ago Mutombodzi demonstrated an equal ability to be as balanced a contributor with ball and bat, just like Cremer.

As for Jarvis...

Somehow I get the feeling that a number of guys here don’t even bother to track or analyse the performances of their favourites. It’s almost as if you take it for granted that since Craig and Waller are white, they must be good or have form behind them, but couldn't be further from the truth! Meanwhile the likes of Mutumbami and Chibhabha are slaving along, but they don’t even get a mention from you.

NB: My point wasn't about someone's best possible first XI, something the ZCF is fond of. It had to do with the fact that right now Zim is capable of fielding a totally black team that can produce results that are just as good as the current mixed team. Plenty of Black batting plus seam & spin options who can commendably contribute to a 150 all-out 2nd innings score regularly, just as well as the others do. It follows then that if genuine selection or dropping of players is followed, then ultimately, merit will yield a 90% Black team almost every time. Therefore, except Taylor, none of the others that you've included can claim to be ahead of a bunch of other players on merit(provided of course he stays clear of the top 3 batting positions)!

Even in that XI of yours, unlss you forgot him, I still can't believe you would put a top form Waller ahead of a top form Elton Chigumbura! Something is seriously wrong in this forum...

[sloandog]

Even in that XI of yours, unlss you forgot him, I still can't believe you would put a top form Waller ahead of a top form Elton Chigumbura! Something is seriously wrong in this forum...

Well that's just your opinion mate. We could argue against that completely, as Waller has done way better than Chigumbura on the international scene, minus the New Zealand tour perhaps where Waller was just as bad as Chigumbura!

I agree with what you said about being able to field a completely black side. Just out of curiosity, what would your black side be ?

[maehara]

Source: https://www.facebook.com/officialdavidc ... 5538792616

Statement by Senator David Coltart regarding the appointment of national selectors

This week the Director General of the Sports and Recreation Commission Rtd Col. Charles Nhemachena issued SRC directive NSA 1/2013 regarding the appointment of National Selectors. The directive was issued pursuant to sections 19,21 and 23 of the Sports and Recreation Commission Act. In terms of section 23 the Minister of Sport is given the power to issue general directions to the SRC “as appears requisite.. in the national interest”, subject to the SRC being given 30 days in which to submit its views regarding the proposed directive to the Minister.

Last year I exercised these powers for the first time when the SRC issued a directive pursuant to section 23 of the SRC Act ordering all sports associations to equitably rotate international sporting events amongst all Zimbabwe’s sporting venues, which meet international standards, nationwide.

In the past few years there have been a variety of problems involving the selection of national sporting teams. Indeed in some disciplines it has been a long standing problem with allegations of bias and incompetence of selectors being made. For example last year the SRC spent an extraordinary amount of time in seeking to resolve a serious selection dispute in Zimbabwe Bowls regarding the selection of the Zimbabwe team to participate in a World Bowls event in Australia. Part of that dispute arose because some of Zimbabwe’s bowlers felt that some selectors were unqualified to make the best selection or that there had been interference in the selection process. There have also been selection controversies in some major sports such as Football and Cricket.

Accordingly last year I wrote to the SRC informing it of my proposed direction and seeking its views in terms of the SRC Act. My thinking was that if the appointment of national selectors was confined to those who had actually played their respective sport at international level it would better ensure that selectors were adequately qualified to do the job, that the appointment of selectors would be done on a more objective basis and that players were more likely to respect decisions taken by people who had already achieved internationally in that discipline. A wide cross section of Zimbabwean sportspersons have told me in the last few years that playing at international level involves a considerable leap in physical and mental expertise which is best understood and appreciated by sportspersons who have experienced that themselves. The same sportspersons have advised me that national players are far more likely to respect and accept hard selection decisions made by people who have achieved themselves at the highest level. The matter was duly considered by the SRC and it concurred with the proposals, and a result the directive was issued by the Director General this week.

I have noted with regret the highly intemperate and defamatory statements issued in response to the the directive this week by the erstwhile convener of selectors of Zimbabwe Cricket, Mr Givemore Makoni, claiming, inter alia, that the directive has some racist motive. Whilst I understand Mr Makoni’s distress at losing his job he would have been better advised to take to take a leaf out of Dale Carnegie’s book regarding how to make friends and influence people. His abusive remarks are not only unnecessary but ironically the remarks themselves bring into question his suitability for holding such an important national position. I note that Mr Makoni remains manager of the Rocks franchise so his services to cricket will not be lost.

Be that as it may it is necessary for me to respond to the specific allegation that this is some racist plot to prevent black Zimbabweans from advancing in cricket. Firstly, it is well known that there are numerous black Zimbabweans who have played cricket at international level for Zimbabwe and who have now retired from international cricket, such as David Mutendera, Ethan Dube and Tatenda Taibu, who would make superb selectors. In this regard I have noted that Mr Makoni is recorded as stating, in his comments carried in the Zimbabwe, Independent newspaper that Ethan Dube did not play for Zimbabwe and is ineligible, which is false as Mr Dube played for Zimbabwe in 1990. Secondly it is ironic that Mr Makoni refers, in his comments contained in the Herald newspaper, to my criticism regarding selections during the tour to New Zealand without mentioning that those criticisms were mainly focussed on the non selection of a black player Vusimuzi Sibanda, which hardly tallies with some racist agenda. Thirdly, I note that Mr Makoni suggests that the directive will make Mr Stephen Mangongo ineligible for appointment as national coach (as part of an alleged further racist agenda) which is also false as the directive does not apply to coaches. No where in the directive does it state that a prerequisite for appointment as a national coach must be international experience. Only if a coach is to sit on a national selection panel then that person should have international experience, in terms of paragraph 2.2 of the directive. Historically the practice in Zimbabwe Cricket is that the coach has not been part of the selection panel although the coach’s views are taken into account. Accordingly these directives do not in any way affect that historical practice. Therefore any suggestions that the directives in general are racist are patently false and nonsensical.

In conclusion it will be apparent that these directives have been lawfully and properly issued by the SRC in the national interest with a view to improve the competitiveness of all our national teams. Whilst it is regrettable that they inevitably affect some people who do not have international experience it would be improper to allow the personal interests of a few individuals to compromise Zimbabwe's national interest. It goes without saying that if National Sports Associations have suggestions to make to improve the directives both I and the SRC will obviously entertain and consider them in the national interest. What drives us all is the desire to see Zimbabwe retain its status as world beaters in all sporting disciplines something which has been sadly lacking in the last decade.

Senator David Coltart
Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture
12th January 2013

[eugene]

All sounds pretty reasonable.

[Jemisi]

Good that he responded in detail.

[hhm]

Great! So we can have Mutendera, Dube & Taibu as the selection committee then; with Mangongo as coach, and everyone will be perfectly ok with it!

Look forward to it.

With Hondo, Nkala, Maregwede, Mawhire, Watambwa(?) and even Dabengwa, all to join Matambanadzo soon, there's plenty of options "who've played at international level [and experienced that] considerable leap in physical and mental expertise, which is best understood and appreciated by sportspersons, [and will] more likely [be] respected and have their hard selection decisions accepted by national players, since they are people who have achieved themselves at the highest level"

Make it happen then Senator!

[Jemisi]

Dabengwa maybe has had enough FC and international experience. Matsi should be retired soon and can join the selectorial ranks.

[foreignfield]

Sorry, but Ethan Dube never played an official international match. It is true that he played for the full Zimbabwe team on the 1990 tour of England, but that only involved matches against the counties. Otherwise every U-19 cricketer can claim to have played his sport at "international level".

Selectors need to be qualified, and should be judged on their performance just like the players and coaches. But international experience or lack of it does not per se make or break a good selector. In football, where the managers also act as selectors, the false belief that good players automatically make good managers while a guy who hasn't played at the highest level will never be accepted by the pros, has been wiped away by the likes of Mourinho, Benitez, or Klopp. I'm glad that Jogi Löw coaches Germany at football and not a ex-international who is too full of himself and how "things were done in my time" to move forward.

I don't care whether Mankoni has played international cricket or not. But I do care how he (together with AC at that time) has messed up the Vusi question prior to the NZ tour big time.