Big news!!!! Chris silverwood signs for zim province side

[jimbo]

Silverwood and Hendrick head to Zimbabwe

Martin Williamson

October 8, 2009

Text size: A | A Cricinfo has learned that Chris Silverwood has been signed by Zimbabwe franchise side Mashonaland Eagles as their new player-coach and is expected to arrive in the country before the weekend.

Silverwood, 34, was released by Middlesex last month. He played six Tests and seven ODIs for England making his debut in Zimbabwe in 1996-97.

In a further sign that Zimbabwe cricket is well on the way back to normality, former England seamer Mike Hendrick has been unveiled as the new national fast-bowling coach. He will succeed Heath Streak who is widely expected to become national coach when Walter Chawaguta's contract expires at the end of the year

[kartik]

Great news man!

[aydee]

Only thing that worries me is that Eagles already have plenty of seam bowlers (Chigumbura, Hondo, Garwe & Manyumwa). Whose place would Silverwood take? I guess Chigumbura & Garwe are going to miss the new few games, but still...

That said, it is very encouraging that an experienced and talented ex-test cricketer like Chris Silverwood has been encouraged into the Zim game.

[zimfan1]

I would just like to stress to the readers who are not so familiar with the english game what a fantastic move it is by the ZC to employ Mike Hendrick who is very well thought of as a bowling coach in the England game. He is credited by many to be one of the best bowling coaches in the English game and his most recent sucess was unearthing the Irish bowler Boyd Rankin who he plucked from league cricket in Ireland to playing county cricket for Derbyshire and then moving up a divsion to Warwickshire.

Silverwood will be a good signing by the eagles but dont count on him playing to many matches as he has hardly played at all in the last 4/5 years due to persistant injury problems.

[tawac]

Its quite ironic how a Zimbo is coaching the English side and how Englishmen seem the be finding thier way into Zimbabwe Cricket. I hope this well help improve relations between ZC and ECB.

[Sir Mupariwa]

this is

Its quite ironic how a Zimbo is coaching the English side and how Englishmen seem the be finding thier way into Zimbabwe Cricket. I hope this well help improve relations between ZC and ECB.

hope so too but our relationship has been spoiled by politics more than anything, its good to see us moving in this direction

[cricket_22001]

Its quite ironic how a Zimbo is coaching the English side and how Englishmen seem the be finding thier way into Zimbabwe Cricket. I hope this well help improve relations between ZC and ECB.

While a Zimbabwean coaches England (again) who hold the ashes, I wonder how this will improve Australian/Zimbabwean relations? Ha Ha! Just joking.

[Kopje]

Great to have him join us, i don't know about the ZC and ECB relations, seems politics has done its best to ruin any chances of getting along.

[Horo]

great to see a high quality coach in mike hendrick joining not all that long ago any respected foreign coach wouldnt have touched zimbabwe cricket with a stick hopefully the team announces a batting coach of note i think alistair campbell doing it is abit to much of a strecth on his workload