Who is the best batsman in the zimbabwe team?

[Jemisi]

When the Dogg wrote that, immediately I put my house, well townhouse, on Hhm coming along and disagreeing. Unfortunately the odds were predictably very short, so we aren't rich.

and i would've bet everything i had that your comment would get support. i guess i would have had to spread the bet over 3/4 people though!

Maybe you should talk to Conant and set something up.

[hhm]

I think HHM is getting potential reality mixed up. Vusi COULD be better but as of today he isnt, never in the past, perhaps in the future?

I'll take a crocked Nonu over SBW anyday! Be it rugby or boxing! Aside, my appreciation stops with Lomu, Fitzpatrick, Zinzan, Umaga, Merhtens, Rocokoco, Mealamu & Nonu - they've been the key to the ABs in recent times!!! McCaw is an overrated cheat! Enough respect to Dan the the man - pity his play occasionally typifies the mood swings of the weaker sex!

Away from the oval ball! Since we stepped out to the field against Bangladesh in that Test last year - Vusi Sibanda HAS been our best batsman! Not potential! By forecasting averages I was simply emphasizing the fact that I believe Vusi will have eclipsed what Taylor has achieved at that point - something Younis also picked up(I doubt you'll ever hear any cricket personality of note say something positively distinct about Taylor because he's ugly to the learned keen cricket eye)! The only way Taylor can continue to do well is if: 1) He bats between 4-6; 2)Zimbabwe has a good top 3 which ensures we avoid collapses, 3)We play NZ in slow flat wickets more often! No player with such a poor technique, batting 1-3, can survive the kind of pace & swing bowling doing the rounds!

You may question my #3, but he seems to have taken over the baton from Guy. Think back to Taylor's early times - u19 WC. The where his scores, all when he was opening: sl5, aus0, can5, pak0, eng45, nz127. Out of six innings - 2 ducks and one score over 50. Averaged 11 before the century against NZin Zim u19s final game. James Cameron who is struggling in County cricket as an opener, was far more successful as his partner. As our games have shown when Taylor has batted up the order he is NEVER consistent. Even if he continues to hide himself lower down the order, we will still collapse more often than not, and he will have to face and fail against the new ball. Which is why I'm resigned to the belief that Taylor will be no more than a 35avg batsman at most. I can identify a few Zim batsmen besides him who will manage a 40+ avg.

Aus, SA & WI have extremely quick good seamers, who will trouble anyone anywhere in the world. Were it not for their issues Pak, would fall in ther own lofty category, but they have to be bunched with Eng, SL & Ind who all have above average seamers, but a good complement of spinners to back them up. NZ are the odd one out because they are only top 8(rightfully the lowest) side which has poor seamers away from their natural conditions, and also lacks quality spinners to nullify the seamers' failures! They picked DV plus Patel against us while no other side, Pak included, would've picked two specialist spinners against this Zim side in a Test. Any decent middle order batsman is good enough to do well against this (Bondless)NZ attack - even Bangladesh! Taylor did well against them at home but by and large he failed in NZ, both in the Tour, and their T20 competition before that(unless of course 2/10 impresses you). Coming in when their average seamers are tiring, and (unlike other sides) no spinners capable of outfoxing average batsmen - even poor Malcom Waller can cash in!

Anyway, I think despite his limited batting talent, he's a fighter, a determined boy, who maximises his limitations through bravery & intelligence. You believe in him, so that's all that counts!

You're quite right betterdays, and I'm not surprised Jemisi. Quite a number of people here seek to merely oppose what I say, instead of assessing the merits of what I contribute. Think for example, of the empty responses eugene&Sloandog offer. If facts are to hard to swallow then they turn to mob psychology - 'if we're united in something wrong then it will be right'. Which is why a few to this day they don't bother attempting to justify their favorites over mine beyond basically stating 'they're useless'!

[eugene]

Empty response.

[aydee]

Empty response.

[sloandog]

Yawn at yet another Hhm essay, and yet he has the audacity to day Eugene and myself have empty answers. What ever pal

[ZIMDOGGY]

side note about sonny bill williams...

hes only a so/sorugby player by international standards...

but he was a freak in rugby league. i dont think ive ever seen anyone before him that had the power speed and strength with the ability to offload any ball like he did.

he was great on the shoulder charge, knocked guys clean unconscious.

Some rugby types wont ever know it.. but there was a reason why he was paid a million a year by Toulouse whilst never playing rugby union before.

[ZIMDOGGY]

coul even say he was our own brendan taylor/ andy flower..

but the fact sonny ditched his contract in theteam in the middle of the night (big scandal) shows the Williams last name is an apt one.

[betterdays]

When the Dogg wrote that, immediately I put my house, well townhouse, on Hhm coming along and disagreeing. Unfortunately the odds were predictably very short, so we aren't rich.

and i would've bet everything i had that your comment would get support. i guess i would have had to spread the bet over 3/4 people though!

Maybe you should talk to Conant and set something up.

- when you can lend me his ear ...

there's a fair chance of winning bets if we're to predict responses here but as you say ... generally short odds so i'll let poker continue to be my only form of gambling!

the predictability doesn't really make it any less interesting to visit ... but Vusi is our best test bat! it's actually a no-brainer!!!

[foreignfield]

The question who's the best is a futile one. Everyone has their favourite and their arguments or stats to support their views. For me, on a totally personal note, it's the guy I most cherish to see at the crease, who keeps me on the edge of my seat, satisfies my asthetical needs and leaves me despondent when he gets himself out. And that guy is Vusi. A matter of taste.

But if you ask who would I back to score a ton after getting a start, I'd have to say Taylor.

[betterdays]

The question who's the best is a futile one. Everyone has their favourite and their arguments or stats to support their views.

yeah,... I was light-heartedly mirror arguing. I know that it's very hard to prove one's favorite is the best especially when it comes down to so many factors. I think if i was to say which of the two i thought would make more runs from position 1 or 2 in tests now i'd go for Vusi.