ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier

[Pat_Bee]

There’ll be a disaster defeat at some point leaving us a must win game to qualify for the proper qualifiers, it will be nervy and go down to the last ball, Faraz saving the day with a blistering 21 off 8.

[eugene]

I actually watched Mutendera's only test in 2000 as it was on television in New Zealand. A fellow black pace bowler was also in the team - Nkala, so I don't know what he is talking about only one black bowler being allowed. I don't remember Mutendera looking all that special, although in his defence it was a spin friendly Bulawayo surface with Paul Strang picking up 10 wickets and New Zealand's Paul Wiseman claiming 8 wickets.

[TapsC2]

It would be very naive to think that those guys suffered zero forms of discrimination back in those days. It is the very reason why we are stuck in this vicious cycle now. Accountability has to come from all sides. I don't agree with how things are being handled right now but the truth is what we are seeing now is an extreme response to an initial problem which has led us down this path of eventual collapse.

[jw2]

I actually watched Mutendera's only test in 2000 as it was on television in New Zealand. A fellow black pace bowler was also in the team - Nkala, so I don't know what he is talking about only one black bowler being allowed. I don't remember Mutendera looking all that special, although in his defence it was a spin friendly Bulawayo surface with Paul Strang picking up 10 wickets and New Zealand's Paul Wiseman claiming 8 wickets.

I think the most successful pace attack Zimbabwe ever had consisted of Heath Streak, Henry Olonga and Pommie Mbangwa.

[Googly]

The out and out seamers of that era were Streak, Brandes, Johnson, Blignaut, Friend, Mbangwa, Olonga, Brent and possibly Whitall as an all rounder.
That's not an easy bunch to crack, and no he wasn't twice as good

Whittall was the guy who objected to his late inclusion in the one game at the expense of Wishart who was actually a batsman.

There were a couple of realities during that time.
The hierarchy were desperate for top black cricketers to show some inclusivity. It was white administration that made the initial moves to try and expand cricket.
You didn't have to be twice as good, you had to be almost as good. That's the cold hard truth. It stings like an STD but it is what it is.

Do you know how many really good white cricketers have had their careers snuffed out over the years to make way for lesser players!!! Somebody needs to make a very long list so we can balance that against the small "oh woe is me" brigade. It would be in a ratio of about 10:1, but that's an inconvenient truth that wouldn't even give them a pause for introspection. It's a one way street.

Twenty years of fantastic cricketers walking away or seeking greener pastures because of a deeply flawed and corrupt system that skewed the playing field with racist and biased administration and selections. The system they have perpetuated is infinitely worse than what they replaced. If whites tried that now UN would send a peace keeping force to overthrow them. Show me a black coach trying to right some wrongs and trying to resurrect white cricket amongst a disenfranchised white community. Actually there was one, but he didn't have the bottle to follow through. All bark and no bite.
An entire cricket culture of an ethnic group and working system demolished in the name of progress and the people that did it get pavilions and teams named after them.
Actually the same has happened in every sport played here and not one person can take a step back and think "jeeezus what we have done here stinks!"
Somehow there's some mutual back slapping for a job well done? It's a tragedy, and it's been going on for so long that you have to be over 50 to be able to make a comparison.

The cricketers around today now compete for places against a tenth of the opposition they would have had if this had been managed better and had been merit based, which is why we're playing Seychelles next week instead of India. That Rangers side showed up the disgraceful mess that they lord over.
Takashinga would never have won a single game had Flower not joined them. Not from that day to this.
A little birdie told me such was the spite that some names were quietly removed from that T10 draft.
Even by their standards that's low

The guys I rated in those days were Hamilton, Matsi, Taibu, Pommie and Henry and a couple of others who elude me at the moment. Guys like Madondo were urban myth. They had no less of a hard time than plenty of white guys who tried to compete and some still do, in a corrupt biased system. No mythical stories in The Herald about those guys

Where players did get a hard time in that era was probably in a team environment. That must have been a horrible experience. Perpetuated of course, but more covertly as opposed to overtly, so I guess that makes it ok. Most of the culprits have been well rewarded.

As with most areas in Zim we will have to await the departure of these self serving "custodians" that have dishonestly talked themselves and others into believing they preside over a better system and that they're the only ones standing between good and evil. That's a generation away and cricket here ends in 2027.

[ZIMDOGGY]

I would absolutely love them both to be in the mix for the 2027 CWV

You never know. Ervines swansong may well be against England in next years test.

Ervine is either hanging out to play that test, or the 27 wc.
maybe the test is where he reassess if he has that further two years in him.

not really sure why the England test is such a big deal. Yes, from a sanction/political pov. But it will be a half assed england side played in Cumbria or somewhere.

[tawac]

It would be very naive to think that those guys suffered zero forms of discrimination back in those days. It is the very reason why we are stuck in this vicious cycle now. Accountability has to come from all sides. I don't agree with how things are being handled right now but the truth is what we are seeing now is an extreme response to an initial problem which has led us down this path of eventual collapse.

Go figure, its vicious cycle we in. We just hope at the end of the day we still have a Zim cricket team to follow. The race thing will always be there just depends who is on the receiving end and how much noise they make. Just glad Zimbabwe had people like Bill Flower who saw beyond that and actually helped bring cricket to places like Highfields.

[sloandog]

Os bill flower still.around

[zimbos_05]

It would be very naive to think that those guys suffered zero forms of discrimination back in those days. It is the very reason why we are stuck in this vicious cycle now. Accountability has to come from all sides. I don't agree with how things are being handled right now but the truth is what we are seeing now is an extreme response to an initial problem which has led us down this path of eventual collapse.

Sadly this is the truth. There was elements of racism, but it is also clear that those elements were being pushed away. We were seeing more black players come into the team. Hammy was especially talented and full of quality. Sadly, he backed the group that meant he no longer had to push himself and he ended up with a mediocre career compared to what he could have been.

The overreaction is what we have now. A group utilising some reverse racism and blatant favouritism under the guise of progress, whilst the reality is we are stuck struggling to beat sides like Uganda.

[Googly]

I have heard that the great Bill Flower is in a care home in UK with Alzheimers. What a terrible disgusting disease.
A man who dedicated time to righting injustices in the cricketing world here and helped many disadvantaged players get a start. The guys who bridge the divide are the ones who should be acknowledged, not the ones who perpetuate a deeply flawed system under the guise of being social justice warriors, but really only have lined their pockets.
I often wonder how often he felt let down by the people he endorsed. What would he have done different if he could have it over again?