Regional 5-Day Series 2022 | Northerns Vs Southerns

[Googly]

I've just revised my opinion about it being a huge step up.
Those WC u19 sides were sharp. I think the step up is more mental than anything. You're now playing with men and you're wondering if you're good enuf. Against a fellow u19 you will be having less doubt about that and feel you should be competing as you're the same age.
I think those Pakistan, England and Indian U19 sides would at the very least hold their own against our franchise sides- there were some really quality players there and they had real depth to their batting and bowling. About 4 or 5 in each of those teams had already had fc exposure and done well.
To do well in a higher standard of FC/List A at the age of 17-19 means you're a damned good player.
I've been watching Brevis in the SA T20 stuff. That's a much higher standard than our cricket, he hasn't really done too much yet, needs to change his game a bit because he's not going to get too many that he can just bang down the ground whenever he feels like it, but he should work that out and he's actually proven to be a good leggie- I'm not sure he even bowled in that u19 side?

The adjustment from u19 to men's cricket is largely a mental one is my point. Your skill levels are not going to increase dramatically, it's your mental approach to the game. The step up here in Zim will definitely be less challenging than other countries. If you're thrown in a team and left to figure it out yourself it's a struggle but if a quality coach/player "mentors" you and you get the right kind of practice it's not a difficult transition. There's no-one bowling 140 and there are no mystery spinners.

[secretzimbo]

I think the biggest difference is the experience factor. Some of the guys in our system might not be the most talented in the world, but they have age and experience and are wily old pros who have seen it all before. Takes someone special to come in as a 19 year old and have something different that the older guys can't work out.


In other news, I see neither Madande or Madhevere woke up with a level head on their shoulders this morning That's the difference. They need to start converting.

[Googly]

I think the biggest difference is the experience factor. Some of the guys in our system might not be the most talented in the world, but they have age and experience and are wily old pros who have seen it all before. Takes someone special to come in as a 19 year old and have something different that the older guys can't work out.


In other news, I see neither Madande or Madhevere woke up with a level head on their shoulders this morning That's the difference. They need to start converting.

Yeah just scrolled through that live feed to see their dismissals. Two loose shots for sure. Pity, they both looked good.
I watched a few overs from Mashinge as well. Decent enough, but he's not as good as Evans in my opinion, not that it counts.

[Googly]

Ervine didn't seem happy with his dismissal down leg. The next guy I'm sure got bat on that LBW as well.

[Googly]

Victor Nyauchi bowling really well here.

[secretzimbo]

Chivanga just looks like such an asshole.

Get him on the right pitch in a Test team and he'd probably be a proper handful. Wouldn't want to share a dressing room with him though

[Googly]

Jeez he's a big solid guy. Looks like an angry 8th man.
He doesn't look that quick though, too bulky, not that I'd face him unless I was in my Michelin Man Onesy.

[Googly]

I think the biggest difference is the experience factor. Some of the guys in our system might not be the most talented in the world, but they have age and experience and are wily old pros who have seen it all before. Takes someone special to come in as a 19 year old and have something different that the older guys can't work out.


In other news, I see neither Madande or Madhevere woke up with a level head on their shoulders this morning That's the difference. They need to start converting.

Yeah just scrolled through that live feed to see their dismissals. Two loose shots for sure. Pity, they both looked good.
I watched a few overs from Mashinge as well. Decent enough, but he's not as good as Evans in my opinion, not that it counts.

I was thinking about Evans- as a selector here's where you give a guy some sort of goal. Show us by next season you can bowl a 5 over spell of 135. Go and make some runs in club and NPL and take a couple of fifers. That's if he needs motivating, I'm sure he knows he has to be considerably better than the next best seaming all-rounder.
But something for him to grasp onto so he doesn't think he's wasting his time. To let a guy burn through the next two years knowing you're never going to pick him is not great, unless he's happy to remain as a FC player. In other member countries its sustainable, but here it's not. If you're going to play mid week then you either need money or have higher ambitions. I can only guess what the average franchise salary is, but its probably a spread between 500- 2000 with the average being around 700- 800 for 4 months of the year.
Then you need a temp job for the other 8 months that gives you opportunity to practice and improve. None of this is realistically achievable. There must be guys in the system with a wife (or two) and kids. Man, that's an uncertain life.
Do the coaches, support staff and admin also take 8 months unpaid leave?

[secretzimbo]

Lol they tried to implement a flat contract - the same for every franchise player - at some point, I think during the Covid season, 'because of the pandemic' . That didn't go down well, obviously, and the older players with families kicked off. I think they are back to tailored deals now. Your estimates there sounds pretty realistic I think. There's around 20 full contracts per franchise and then anyone else outside those gets paid a very small fee per appearance if they get a game.

Meanwhile I hear most of BT's and Jarvis' salaries have been redistributed amongst the national players and the 14 or so guys on contracts are getting paid much better than Zim cricketers have been for a long time. There's just such a massive gap between that and the franchise contracts though.

Some of the better franchise players are lucky enough to get UK club gigs to tide them over in the off season I suppose - but I don't know how much they get paid apart from free accommodation? Many other players must have side incomes.

[Googly]

It's crazy to think that an organisation that essentially brings in 5-10 mil (who knows what we're getting from ICC these days) basically have 14 guys only getting liveable salaries and then in the engine room of FC nobody can make a living. Yet the hierarchy are leading Zollywood lifestyles.
It may be the most lopsided organisation out there.

Even that 20 contracts per franchise doesn't make sense. That's basically spreading the money between 20 guys instead of 15 getting more. They should at least consider giving guys a reduced stipend during the 8 months off.