Mediocrity should neither be celebrated nor tolerated!

[hhm]

I have been termed negative and harsh quite a few times in this forum. In another jab directed towards me, it was implied that my standards are too high, and that I expect us to perform to the level of expectation of a number one side. Well, in my defence I have stated that I merely seek to be a voice of reason amidst the euphoria that has blinded our fans so much that, having been starved of Test cricket and seeing their boys in whites for such a long time, they are prepared to waiver the standards they normally apply to the rest the nations in the realm of Test cricket.

What is on show belies what can be defined as a Test: dreadful bowling by the Bangladeshis on day one; an embarrassing collapse by the Zimbabwean middle order and tail on the face of improved Bangladeshi bowling in the second day; weak opening batting by the Bangladeshi top order against the impressive young Zimbabwean opening bowlers; a questionable and uninventive bowling display by the same Zimbabwean bowlers who looked spent, after very little bowling the previous day, which has allowed the Bangladeshis to eat away a seemingly unassailable and comfortable lead; pathetic batting around the stellar performance of Vusi Sibanda by Zimbabwean batsmen in their second innings, thus leaving Bangladesh sensing a victory which looked remote from the outset!

Until recently, in the lengthy lows of the English, critics were unforgiving in their assessments of the team. The West Indies have endured similar treatment since their decline. Australian critics have jumped on to the same bandwagon against their team, as losing increasingly became a habit. We chose to be part of the Test setup, and while we may not be the real deal, we should at the very least look the part. We have been TESTED in this one-off game and we are heading towards failure in our own backyard. Failure against a rusty punching bag for all the other teams, which felt three days was sufficient prior practice to get them to the level sufficient to overcome us, thereby virtually relegating us to utter worthlessness in the hierarchy. Mediocrity should neither be celebrated nor tolerated. Not now, not ever! I will never be accommodating to that as well. Hence what is out of place should be looked upon with contempt and addressed swiftly.

Indeed, in the scheme of things Zimbabwe is battling both Bangladesh and a greater majority of people in the cricket world, who are genuinely negative and pessimistic about our prospects. Everything we do should lay the platform for current and future success. Thus giving the middle-one to those doomsayers. What I'm witnessing before me, however, appears not to reflect that. Our selectors have been poor and certain players too. It is hugely disheartening to continue to be subjected to failures which can be prevented. Bangladesh has been far from the level they are capable of, and had they been more clinical, we wouldn't be in this match! In spite of their poor performance we haven't been able to capitalise and take them out of this game. What we have done is let them back into the game. A win from us would have been deserved, but not valuable in the eyes of an acute cricket mind. We would have beaten a dead team. Throughout the match so far, I have heard the commentators(both Zimbabwean, South African and Bangladeshi) criticise the Bangladeshi players and the team, many times more than they've heaped praise or given credit to our players and team. Now what does that tell you? Perhaps unwittingly one of our colleagues here pointed out that our batsmen would have fared far worse had they faced our own bowlers! He was alluding to the fine work our bowlers displayed, but in fact, that highlights how far behind our batting is and equally, how much credit is due to the Bangladeshi batsmen. It also shows just how far behind those very bowlers are themselves! On that unintended observation, we have already lost this match!

One poor soul in this forum intimated at one point, that our openers are batsmen who are inferior to our number three and four batsmen, and meant to be used in the process of protecting those more valuable who are to follow. I, and indeed many other people, have always been of the understanding that openers are the the most solid and safest players in the team who have the ability to see off the new ball, and lay the foundation from which the team can push on through the stroke-makers who are to follow. Neither Vusi and Tino have been that. Tino has been nothing really, while Vusi has been the stroke-maker that we instead desperately need to push on our innings lower down the order. In fact, the reverse has been true. Taylor and Hamilton have played like our openers should, as they have often done for us in the recnt past, only they are performing that task at the wrong part of the innings.

As it stands we are staring down the barrel of a gun. Taylor's uncharacteristic batting approach, and likewise his rudimentary captaincy, has been inviting more pressure on the team than anything else. Taibu is not back to match fitness. As for Craig Ervine, we might as well make it 92/5, while Elton's performance is anybody's guess. The rest is just there. Setting Bangladesh a target of 280 by lunch(we'll probably all-out by then), leaves them a day and a half to cover the deficit. For all the praises that have been thrown in the direction of our two new young bowlers, they do not have the tools to curb a highly motivated Bangladeshi batting line-up. Which shall be the satate they'll be in if they knock us over for under 300. One of their aggressive openers Tamim didn't fire in the first innings, and if he does in the second, they will whittle down our score with relative ease. The Bangladeshi bowlers and technical team have, like myself identified the weaknesses of our bowlers and they will look to get on top of them. We have seen them play against and dominated some of the best attacks in world cricket right now, so replicating that against the two raw rookies should be very simple in comparison.

All is not lost, and the Test may very well be salvaged, or better yet, won by our countrymen. That is the very reason for the optimism which engulfs our die-hard folk. A large secluded part of me hopes for that to be the case, and relishes the prospect of us resuming our Test cricket on a fine note. However, in many ways a loss might be what we need to knock some sense into everyone - the selectors, the players, and ourselves the fans. A century and half century opening partnership against this poor attack has hidden the flaws of our opening pair, along the way assuming records which eluded much better pairs who've opened the batting for us against qualified attacks. The middle order is filled with the wrong personnel, and too much faith has been placed in the wrong set of bowlers too soon! Taken in that light, the pain of defeat is necessary to force key people to make the obvious changes. Our strengths have not been utilised appropriately. We simply cannot continue to make ourselves a mockery in the eyes of the world. Change is needed and with that change success is attainable, and for mediocrity, once again we'll read excellence. At this rate that remains a far-fetched dream and we shall forever be consigned to the scrap heap.

[Maweni]

Bangladesh has been far from the level they are capable of, and had they been more clinical, we wouldn't be in this match!

Get real hhm-Bangladesh have played as Bangladesh play. I think in your great desire and fervor to deride, insult and undermine our team's skill you've grossly overestimated Bangladesh. We've been ahead in this game because we are better than them.

One poor soul in this forum intimated at one point, that our openers are batsmen who are inferior to our number three and four batsmen, and meant to be used in the process of protecting those more valuable who are to follow. I, and indeed many other people, have always been of the understanding that openers are the the most solid and safest players in the team who have the ability to see off the new ball, and lay the foundation from which the team can push on through the stroke-makers who are to follow. Neither Vusi and Tino have been that. Tino has been nothing really, while Vusi has been the stroke-maker that we instead desperately need to push on our innings lower down the order. In fact, the reverse has been true. Taylor and Hamilton have played like our openers should, as they have often done for us in the recnt past, only they are performing that task at the wrong part of the innings.

This is ridiculous. The management have seen over the last two years that our batting line up crumbles from the top down-the worst example of that being 44 all out against Bangladesh, in particular a problem being failure for the openers to get through the first 10 overs let along see off a new ball. And like any good management they've sought to rectify this by bringing in players to see off the new ball and allow our more aggressive bats to score more freely against a less threatening ball-That's not mediocrity; that's thinking; having a strategy; working out how best to use your resources! And if you played cricket you'd know your best batsman comes in at 3, when the ball is less threatening and can score more freely-I know this cos I bat at 3! Not only that, look up any batting theory or talk to a coach and they'll tell you this.

A century and half century opening partnership against this poor attack has hidden the flaws of our opening pair, along the way assuming records which eluded much better pairs who've opened the batting for us against qualified attacks.

This is the worst of your allegations; the most untrue! "Qualified attacks"? Your "Much better pairs" played against Bangladeshi attacks which were shit! Not even worth the caps they wore and they didn't do this well! Do you honestly think Bangladesh's bowling has gone backwards? Ha!

My friend, in shona we have a proverb: Chakanaka chakanaka mukaka haurungwi. Literally translated this means that you don't add salt to milk but the spirit of it is that you should give praise where it is due, something which you are not only failing to do but are taking away credit that these guys deserve and for that, I think you should be ashamed. Yes, mediocrity should neither be celebrated nor tolerated but then neither should foolishness.
I hope the guys show you exactly what they are made off and really put you to shame.

[TheBradDevil]

You are right mate, you are very harsh and negative. You are showing little faith in your fellow countrymen. If thats how you are putting it, '' bangladesh are not playing to their standard'' then is it fair to say Zim has also performed below standard, and if we had then we would have 500 runs in the first inning? I think it is a possibility that we would have, BUT WE DIDNT so we work with what we have, and look forward. That chance has gone, but many like it wil come. We will not get it all the time, but the aim is to try and do it more often than not., that is the goal. Few teams in world cricket ever perform to their TRUE AND FULL potential EVER! That is an ideal situation which is only attainable in fiction.

Take it this way, if Bang & Zim had perfomed '' to standard'' then eveyone would have scored a century, every bowler would have 10fer and evey fielder will be pulling Jontys (even Mawoyo!). It is IMPOSSIBLE !!! The best way forward is to accept that we will never be perfect, but must try and approach perfection as close as we can ( lyk India, Aus and England have tried to do) .
Cricket is largely a game of probability, but preparation and mental strength improve your odds of performing well are high. Take Jarvis eg, despite offering multiple chances today and yesterday, he only took 1 wicket. On another day, had the gods of cricket (propability and chance) been with us then Bang would have been 150 all out (Ashraful out on 20 odd runs, Ashraful given LB, Shahriar held by Mawoyo on 14 odd) and we would be 300+ ahead at close of day 3. Being critical will not help much. Id prefer you view this Test team as a rough diamond in the pursuit of the perfect cut (which is never achieved, even in real diamond cutting!). We can only improve as we go forward.

PS the glass really is not half empty already, but definitely half full, on its way to the brim. Chin up mate, even Australia under Kim Hughes in the early 80s were considered VERY ''MEDIOCRE'' as you put it after Kerry Packer's world series, but they built from virtually scratch under Allan Border and only became formidable around 88/89 and were not world champs til 95/96. It wont happen over night but i have faith that it will sooner rather than later, and then maybe you will change your view. This is a new team (despite only 4 new caps) which must be persisted with
We have to go through this process in order to improve. Change your perspective and look at the minor victories and failure within the game, and hope for the day when our team will win all minor battles in a test match. For the record, so far we arent doing too bad in that regard.

Rome was not built in a day, but it still stands after 2000 years

[clikcspeed]

One poor soul in this forum intimated at one point, that our openers are batsmen who are inferior to our number three and four batsmen, and meant to be used in the process of protecting those more valuable who are to follow. I, and indeed many other people, have always been of the understanding that openers are the the most solid and safest players in the team who have the ability to see off the new ball, and lay the foundation from which the team can push on through the stroke-makers who are to follow. Neither Vusi and Tino have been that. Tino has been nothing really, while Vusi has been the stroke-maker that we instead desperately need to push on our innings lower down the order. In fact, the reverse has been true. Taylor and Hamilton have played like our openers should, as they have often done for us in the recnt past, only they are performing that task at the wrong part of the innings.

This is ridiculous.

I guess that's me. Unfortunately the world as we know it, is not perfect. What is nice though is that we can all voice our opinions freely...

[eugene]

I understand the desire to not celebrate mediocrity. To begin with, losing against Bangladesh in the first test isn't the debacle you are making it out to be. We haven't played tests in the last six years and almost everyone here would say Bangladesh are the superior side at the moment - their results against us and other teams over the last 5 years would certainly back up this point of view. Bangladesh are playing at the level they always have - you mention had they been more clinical - when has Bangladesh's test form EVER been described as clinical. When has Zimbabwe EVER been clinical either for that matter! Our bowling performance was clearly better than Bangladesh's. Want proof of that - look at the respective first innings scores. Their batting lineup is no weaker than ours but scored fewer runs - pretty simple.

Your criticism of the opening pair is rather harsh in my opinion. Mawoyo has performed well in the warm-up matches and has scored 43 and 35. Sure he didn't score a triple century but scores of 43 and 35 are decent opening scores for a player on debut. Your theory that the best batsmen open is just that - your own theory. Almost everyone says that your best batsmen bat at 3 and 4. Your best OPENERS open, but your best batsmen bat at 3 and 4. At the moment Taylor and Masakadza are our best batsmen son thats why they are batting where they are. Vitori and Jarvis bowled well on debut with Vitori getting 4 and Jarvis deserving 4. Sure they aren't the finished product but they aren't going to get anywhere by sitting on the bench. You talk about laying the groundwork for the future, well Vitori and Jarvis are our future so we should be playing them and supporting through the highs and lows their careers will inevitably experience. Craig Ervine is also our future and I get the sense he could score a century and you still wouldn't be happy as you have a pre-determined prejudice against him. Craig is still very early on in his career but his batting shows class and he just needs one decent innings to turn this rut around - he isn't the first player to go through a bad patch of form.

Just because a few of your favourite players haven't been selected doesn't mean this is a team of deadbeats. You also need to realise that failure is part of cricket. Players don't score centuries every innings and take 10 wickets with a hat-trick thrown in for good measure. Many of our players are young and inexperienced at test cricket so there are going to be some tough times. That doesn't mean they are the wrong players for the job and that the selectors don't know anything.

[Boundary]

OK, so I'm slightly perssimistic on the optimistic thread and slightly optimistic on this thread. Firstly, hhm's critisms of Mawoyo/Sibanda are unfounded. That pair is what we haven't known in Zim cricket for years: an opening partnerships that puts on 80 to 100 runs.If these guys do this against Pak and NZ, then would you change your mind? I like that you've admitted that our young bowlers were impressive. They're not Steyn or Lee or Anderson yet but the potential is there. So they will get to play and improve, that's why we are restarting Tests slowly, these boys need time to adjust to the new information they'd have gained from this match and they should get another chance against Pak.

I share your middle order concern. If Ervine get out cheaply tomorrow, then maybe he should accept that his place is not permanent. But neither should his absence. We have to get away from this mindset here at ZCF that the playing XI is a permanent list. For some matches, Raza and Mutizwa should play ahead of Ervine, Chigs must once in a while get replaced by Meth or Utseya and Chatara, Masakadza Jnr, Mpofu, Jarvis and Vitori should all feel like part of a unit, even though only 3 of them will play any given match.

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

I dont think many people will agree with hhm's views. Perhaps, the best thing for him would be to go back and watch all the ODI's we played in the last 5 years(or even 3). Still he can see the scoresheets of last 5 tests we played and he will be back to senses.

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

Mediocrity should neither be celebrated nor tolerated. Not now, not ever! I will never be accommodating to that as well.

Yes, hhm for ICC president and his first task should be to remove India, Pakistan, NZ, WI, Bang, SAF, Aust, SL permanently from playing test cricket. If he cant do that than he should be permanently hired to write paid-glorified ODI reviews for Holland, Scotland and Kenya.

(all in good humor)

[hhm]

Very interestingly biased responses so far. Clearly you do not yet grasp the import of my message! Funnily enough, I remember when I first made my entry into this forum, the majority accused me of being in dreamland as I was so optimistic and expectant of our Zimbabwean cricket team, and I remain the same. What you fail to recognise is that I'm on either extreme, and never in the middle, which is necessary to arrive at assessments utainted with emotion and loyalty. Hence you conclude that I am negative. In many ways my article echoes the sparse comments of many in this forum, except it's in a condensed form. If you consistently review most of what you have posted here you will no doubt realise that you have been far more scathing in some of your comments, than some of my statements here, and you will struggle to absolve yourself form that allegattion. Free your mind and allow it to be enlightened!

[eugene]

I think one thing that might rub us the wrong way is your constant claim of being more enlightened, intelligent, and some sort of oracle of Zimbabwean cricket. Your opinions aren't more valid because they are yours. Like everyone else here you have favourite players who you think should be selected, just because we disagree (with good reason often) doesn't make us mindless forumers who need saving from ourselves.