Zimbabwe Emerging Tour of South Africa

[Googly]

Matt Campbell has potential.
Hamid is OK. Was iffy against spin, but he did that stint in India so hopefully has learnt a bit.

You can't give Bennet a game here and there and then after 3 years say he's had 15 A games because unless you back to back them it doesn't mean anything, it's almost pointless.
The two young guys they should be giving the Wes and Milton treatment to is Bennet and Welch Jr.
They're head and shoulders our most promising young batters.
If they don't give them every opportunity they will definitely amount to nothing. If they do then they have at least a chance. They will both end up being decent with exposure, they're good players.
Seems so obvious, and yet it doesn't happen. Makes one wonder the thought processes.

[mnelson68]

Matt Campbell has potential.
Hamid is OK. Was iffy against spin, but he did that stint in India so hopefully has learnt a bit.

You can't give Bennet a game here and there and then after 3 years say he's had 15 A games because unless you back to back them it doesn't mean anything, it's almost pointless.
The two young guys they should be giving the Wes and Milton treatment to is Bennet and Welch Jr.
They're head and shoulders our most promising young batters.
If they don't give them every opportunity they will definitely amount to nothing. If they do then they have at least a chance. They will both end up being decent with exposure, they're good players.
Seems so obvious, and yet it doesn't happen. Makes one wonder the thought processes.

You've nailed it , there is emerging talent but the hierarchy keeps the blinkers on and gives opportunities to the same players. I'm not sure what Dion Myer's situation is but he shows promise as well. I do think Jono Campbell can offer something if given a chance and brother Matt might be a surprise packet.

[secretzimbo]

Fuck me sideways Nelson.

Dion Myers isn't available. You know he's in England. If he was available he'd be in the squad. He's a ZC golden boy.

J Campbell has had plenty of chances at this sort of level now. You've ignored my repeated question so I'll ask again. What other chances, above and beyond what he's already had, should Campbell have had? He's been in pretty much every 'A', Select XI, Emerging, Warm-up, Northerns/Southerns side for the past two years and hasn't exactly put his hand up to go to the next level yet. Literally what 'more chances' should he have had? I also really don't know what you are finding difficult to understand about 'He missed the first two matches through injury'. Do you want ZC to pick a guy with an injury now and force him to go out there and play just because he's the right side of 30 and he's white? I'm not sure I understand your obsession.

Matt Campbell was playing college golf in America 6 months ago and hasn't yet played an official professional cricket match in his life. He looks pretty talented from the very limited I've seen (Question: How many times have you watched him play?) but you'd be throwing him to the wolves picking him in this squad.

Anyone else not mentioned here would get annihilated against these SA guys.

Welch Jr has been injured for two years solid, he isn't even playing in the NPL. I agree he's very talented..... but really? You're picking a guy who's had two years of injury problems and hasn't played for almost two years and sending him to bat against these SA bowlers with no recent time in the middle?


The batting stocks are low and this squad is just about the best they could have selected right now.

[secretzimbo]

Roy Kaia is average, will never be an international-standard player and I'm no fan, but as a seasoned wiley old pro he's a better cricketer (as of right now currently) than all of the guys mentioned in the above post. Fact.

If he's struggling against this opposition all of the above sure as shit would too.

[secretzimbo]

If Matt Campbell was called Matashe Camposa instead would anyone on this forum even know he exists?

[TapsC2]

Matt Campbell has potential.
Hamid is OK. Was iffy against spin, but he did that stint in India so hopefully has learnt a bit.

You can't give Bennet a game here and there and then after 3 years say he's had 15 A games because unless you back to back them it doesn't mean anything, it's almost pointless.
The two young guys they should be giving the Wes and Milton treatment to is Bennet and Welch Jr.
They're head and shoulders our most promising young batters.
If they don't give them every opportunity they will definitely amount to nothing. If they do then they have at least a chance. They will both end up being decent with exposure, they're good players.
Seems so obvious, and yet it doesn't happen. Makes one wonder the thought processes.

Looking at the scorecard Bennet came in at 8 but you can see that even though they folded that team was batting up to number 10. Munyonga got a duck so I'm assuming Bennet was batting with Madande with Mavuta and Akram to come. Both of them can bat. The top order folded so there was clearly plenty of time left for them to bat.

My point is this was not typical number 8 situation where he had to play it like a T20 with no partners to come. He got out for 1. I don't see how this can be blamed on the technical team. Had he scored 19 like Mavuta I would have understood it.

Also from a senority perspective they were crumbling, obviously the other kids with more experience were going to send themselves in.

[TapsC2]

As for Jonathan Campbell there was a general consensus here that he wasn't good enough for the highest level. This general consensus was from people here on this forum who had played with him and people who had seen him play if I remember correctly. Nobody disputed it at the time. I wonder what has changed over the last 12 months.

[TapsC2]

Our concern shouldn't be who is playing, they are the best we got bar Roy. They had the typical Zimbabwe "bad game" which is already worrying because this seems to happen at every level against any opponent. We should be concerned if they lose this series 4-1 and if nobody gets a big score because these guys bar a few potential imports and the fast bowlers (plus Burl and Innocent) are literally all we got

[CalZim]

If Matt Campbell was called Matashe Camposa instead would anyone on this forum even know he exists?

Didn't he play for Mbizo a few years back?

[Googly]

I wasn't suggesting they pick Matt Campbell, if that was aimed at me. Im just saying he looks like he could be good.
It doesn't change the fact that Bennet should be playing every game at 3-5 to give him the same opportunities that Wes and Milton had.
Matt W is in the UK, both he and NW are back by month end and NW is back permanently. Fairly sure Myers is about finished Uni.
Between Myers, Welchx2, Bennet and Madande we have young guys with ability. The more I see of Madande the more I like what he's got. I'd be surprised if Matt W even gets franchise time having missed the NPL, which would be unfortunate.
There's also Jayden Schardendorf who will hopefully get some franchise time. It remains to be seen how long Dane S sticks it out at Notts playing second fiddle keeper.
There's Frost who has improved a lot.