In 2009/10 when the revised Logan Cup started, Mpofu was the best seamer after Shingi & Elton. At the time him and Mupariwa shared the new ball. Robin Brown gave Mpofu the new ball in all formats, and it contributed towards making him the better player that he is today.
Fortunately or unfortunately, due to the Tuskers' poor form, Houghton was appointed as head coach, with Heath as assistant and bowling coach by default.
Njabulo Ncube came back from the Goats, and the first to suffer was loyal and effective Mupariwa being relegated to 1st change. When Mpofu briefly went to play for the national team, Meth was upgraded to opening bowler, and Mpofu was relegated and kept at first change when he returned. Till this day he toggles between 1st & 2nd change depending on the captain!
Whether it was it Nepotism(relation or sharing a similar surname with the CEO), or a moment of madness, Mupariwa, arguably Zim's finest ODI bowler, suddenly found himself behind Bradley Staddon, and eventually out of the side to seek greener pastures. All the while there was mention of him being injured, yet his presence, fully kitted, around the Tuskers during the perennial Twenty20 showpiece, or reports that he's on the verge of moving to another franchise, all led us to believe otherwise.
By the following season Ncube had grown in his role as Meth's new ball partner, and he duly earned himself an ODI spot alongside Meth, where he impressed and earned a Test berth ahead of Meth, by virtue of his superior bowling and significantly quicker pace! Unfortunately for Ncube, his decent debuts were to be his solitary ones.
Instead of being a catalyst to his career, it turned out to be a curse, because the following season he was relegated to first change for the serial chucker Glen Querl, who was given his debut by Heath Streak, Zim's greatest seamer, who to this day cannot confirm the legitimacy of Querl's action.
Up until that point Querl was deemed unsuitable for promotion beyond 2ndXI by no less than 3 Counties. His only outlet was the ceremonial Marylebone Cricket Club, and the ECB's Recreation XI commonly referred to as the Unicorns, a strictly Pro40 team designed to accommodate County rejects and the better amateurs around London. It remains a mystery why a player who bowled decently for the Unicorns against some County sides in the CB40, was never considered worthy a trial, in the odd County game out of the 400 odd matches by at least one of occasionally desperate sides, over the course of 3 years! What remains an even greater mystery is why Querl, who set the Logan Cup alight since his debut, and continues to do so this season, is yet to make his debut for Zimbabwe. What is even more perplexing is the young man's desire to continue to toil in the confines of the glorified club cricket system in England - as opposed to embracing the open arms of certain ZCF stalwarts who've handed him the new ball for WI without an A team trial - until such time that these seemingly dumb County coaches and Managers see what we see - his immense talent(chucking), that they've somehow failed to identify in the 3 seasons that he's been there!
Nonetheless, Ncube's relegation for this unreal specimen, led to Mpofu's further slide to 2nd change, but more justly, the exclusion of Staddon. However, Ncube hasn't rediscovered his form considering that Querl & Meth have monopolised the overs, but that opened the way for Mpofu to at least move up to first change from time to time.
This brings me to me to my gripe with all of this:
- First of all, Mpofu was deprived the new ball for the Test, and relegated behind newcomers Vitori and Jarvis, but both have gradually slid behind Mpofu, and continue to do so at frightening pace. Yet he is still to be given the lead seamer role.
- He has outperformed both Meth and Querl on the Pro50, but now Heath as head coach, continues to deprive him the new ball.
- Ncube, like Jarvis & Vitori, is far less experienced in comparison to Mpofu, yet even he got the new ball ahead of him. Not that it prevented him from delivering in the most crucial innings.
- Meth's swing has been sparsely impressive during ODIs, and he continues to thumped far more heavily, and is less effective in comparison to Mpofu. Yet once again he is given the new ball ahead of Mpofu, who is even left out of the side! One wonders why, and the only reason I can come up with is so that he can shield the beloved Kyle Jarvis from being the bowler with the worst economy rate in ODI history!
- Many have long falsely argued that Mpofu was slower than Vitori&Jarvis, and so not deserving to open the bowling ahead of them, but we've since learnt that Mpofu consistently bowls at a faster or equally fast pace as they do. We've also seen evidence of Mpofu putting the new ball to far much better use than those two have ever done, but it was only a second new ball, not the first or second over of the innings.
- None of Mpofu's exploits, at domestic and international level, have convinced Heath Streak to chuck him the new ball. In all likelihood, in the 2nd Test Mpofu or Chatara will come in for Jarvis, and in that event, it would not be a surprise to me to see Chatara being promoted ahead of Mpofu as well.
It's obvious Dave Houghton values Mupariwa since he took him to the Rocks, and has found a regular place for him in the Rocks' seam attack, which happens to have the best depth in quality out of all the franchises in the country - Panyangara, Garwe, Vitori, and the future great Musoko. Which makes us wonder why he couldn't play Mupariwa while he was at the Tuskers, unless of course Heath is the problem! It has already been suggested that Heath is vindictive, and didn't wan't Mupariwa to claim a certain record...
It cannot be argued that the expiration of Brown's contract and subsequent appointment of DH brought about glory to Matabeleland, the strong showing of Meth and later Querl as new ball bowlers being a strong factor.
However, it has suspiciously coincided with the 'downturn' in form of Mpofu and Ncube. I don't remember when last Mpofu, the national team kingpin last opened the bowling for the Tuskers in a Logan Cup match! It has never moved the coaches to perhaps try giving them extended runs with the new ball against weak batting orders such as the Eagles & Rocks, to perhaps see if it's the simple case of not having a new ball!
Mupariwa, like Meth is totally unsuitable for Test cricket so I won't factor him in as a loss as far as his test prospects are concerned, but he was single-handedly killed by Streak!
- Questions have to be asked why Meth a non-test class bowler gets regular practice with the new ball than Mpofu a starter in all formats
- Why the progress of an uncommitted bowler, the legality of whose action cannot be confirmed, should come at the expense of Ncube's career, and return to form, who's already proven himself to be a determined and committed young bowler of genuine promise? Or Mpofu's regular exposure to the new ball?
Critically, one needs to wonder to himself why Mpofu who is a true Matabele, Senior, and regular international, is not being treated that way at the Tuskers? Why?
He must surely feel as Ntini felt:
"I always felt as if I was on the verge of being dropped. Whenever a new bowler came into the side the question always was whether they were coming to take my position."
Ray Mali "There's no such thing. Mickey is lying. Makhaya said no such thing. Makhaya did not play the race card. Mickey must not try to sell his book using Makhaya. I deny that outright." Mali said he vividly remembers a meeting after the announcement of the team and Makhaya's gripe was not about alleged racism, but that he felt he was still not recognised as a senior player after 10 years.
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