Ya I mostly agree.TapsC2 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 24, 2024 6:36 amI meant collectively. Every week people are scoring big. . Myers is a good example of this. The fact that someone can go to uni for 3 years but score big at least once everytime he came back is concerning if you look at it objectively. It should never be that easy. With him we are talking about massive scores... 206... 179.. then when we see him bat at the highest level we can see technical issues that can be fixed but were clearly not tested at domestic level.Googly wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2024 6:16 pmThe second half of the season will produce more difficult pitches, it always does. In theory we're getting above average rains after Xmas.TapsC2 wrote: ↑Mon Dec 23, 2024 3:12 pmI agree about the pitches we are preparing. We are all over the place. No identity. We had so many low scoring games just a couple of years ago but strangely enough when people are scoring hundreds all the time they can't bat at international level. Says a lot
Who are the guys scoring hundreds all the time?
Makes me realize that Welch will probably struggle just like the other guys. Naqvi too. The ceiling is obviously high but the initial struggles will be the same. In the press conference you hear Sammons talking about Mayavo scoring runs in Kwekwe where it was turning. We will find out soon enough if that means anything.
It is absolutely imperative for them to somehow figure out who is capable of playing at this level. We are so far past giving firm favorites 100 international caps hoping they will eventually come right and hanging onto a magnificent 80 against Mozambique as justification they're on the right track.
Runs in domestic is a guideline for sure but it's crystal clear it's not the only criteria.
Who's that someone that can watch a player get a 30-70 vs a guy that gets a pedestrian 100 and say- no I want the 30 guy?
Has to be an outsider because everyone else has an agenda that will be questioned. Ideally he needs to be green or purple. It will cause it's own set of contentious issues and it's the same thing- you're not going to see results immediately...and its not a guarantee. These guys are after a quick fix which just isn't going to happen. They have to re-think their "strategy'.
It's not a strategy, it's ignorance and stone-cold bias and perhaps they dont really care? Starting to look that way.
It doesn't matter how long you give some guys, people have different ceilings, whether they're talent based or mental. End of story!!
The path they've chosen is calamitous. Tick tock.
My 10c worth- I'm upgrading it to $10 actually, I have an eye for talented guys...and its all stuff I've said before. Madande and Musekiwa are going to struggle. They're very good players, but they don't have the ceiling.
Madhevere's head has gone, dunno how u fix that. Will one Zimbabwean 50 fix everything? We're waiting....Will he get a real 50 and take his foot off the pedal? Was it ever on in the first place? 100 caps for no return, are you kidding us!!!
Maru I continue to really like despite his failures. He's absolutely got the skill-set hidden in there somewhere. Someone has to fix him and bloody urgently because his head is about to explode and he will be in Wes territory. He's almost there now. 60 caps.
Dion. I just knew this was going to happen against these 2 teams. I've seen so many good batters have no clue against these mystery guys. The Jury is not in for me yet. The way he played this spin was poor. He was such a freakish hockey player he has to have great hands and eye. But there's some skills to fix and shot options to sort out. He looks a bit frenetic as well, which is not a good sign. His 3 year hiatus has been exposed He'll be a good test in this modern era of whether you can take that long off when he's supposed to be honing his craft and not just doing enough to maintain where he was at at u19 level. 36 caps! I think he's played more internationals than domestics!!
Ditto Bhawa when he's back. It's a game of millimetres and I believe they've missed some crucial ones. It is of course possible that the ceiling is not there. You just don't know until you face the very best. I'd like to think it is because he's got a lot going for him, I mean he's absolutely our next captain come hell or high water and it would be awkward having one that can't make runs.
Burl has gone in reverse. He's in trouble and he has to turn it around or he's doomed. He has/had the skills and still believes in himself (I think), but he's had a free ride in terms of lack of competition for his spot and has to up his game big time, not necessarily to keep his spot, but for the sake of the team. However Campbell is putting his hand up for his spot as a leg-spinning all rounder that can bat well, but they don't bowl him?
Ditto Ervine. He has a decent record for sure and he's been a pillar of our cricket for many years, but he's currently struggling. How many shots is he going to get? He's starting to take up space.
Welly. He knows he's going to get picked in at least 2 formats. He's a good player, but a containing bowler and should have worked a lot more on his batting because he's better than his numbers. But how hungry is he? How entitled is he? I dunno, but its a real question. I just get the feeling he doesn't put his back into the preparation. There's a few national guys that have been guilty of this. In a perfect world you'd get rid of the lot of them for good. We need a team of fighters and not participants. The real fight is in the prep. You owe it to yourself, your country and your team mates to be the best you can be.
Kaitano. Good technique and a good player. How's his head under pressure? I dunno how he is against good spin. We will soon see. Getting picked ahead of Welch who's just peeled off 4 hundreds tells everyone there's an issue, as if we didn't know.
Joylord. A guy I rate, despite his poor outings. He's not a world beater but he's very solid in defence. The fact that we are basically looking for him to hold up one end for 10 overs tells us we are in deep shit. I just think he's got something a bit extra we haven't seen yet.
We've probably played the two toughest teams on the planet in terms of bowling. They would trouble (and do) any batsman on these pitches. Quite why they're playing tests in Byo on a turning deck is one of the world's great mysteries. But they have exposed how far behind the drag curve we are.
Even if you know the square root of f*# all you surely know we're in Oh Shit territory.
NW has played against a few of these guys with good results. I mean that Naveem guy was in the same team as him. I think he's faced the Pakistani quicks, pretty sure he's played Rashid as well. Whatever their issues are with him he's got the best chance of anyone to come good. The longer they leave it the more chance his skill-set will diminish, it's probably the cunning plan
There is absolutely no intention of putting the best team on the park. None. Zero. If he'd just had Myers' exposure of 40 odd games we'd have a decent player by now.What a waste of valuable time for everyone. It's not even valuable anymore it's becoming vital.
Sammons was talking about Mayavo in KweKwe?
He was personally at Kwekwe intently watching Matt Welch score a run a ball match winning 80 on one leg and was waxing lyrical about him and I know as a fact he asked for him. . There is absolutely NO comparison between Mayavo and Welch Jr. One is good and the other is exceptional. I'd bet my farm, if I had one, that he's the youngster to back. Don't let anyone tell you Salamander has a say because he hasn't. Maybe he has a choice between chicken or beef at lunch. Believe me he's learned to play their game within a week of his arrival, which means he's not our guy. We've never had one, even Houghton had to play ball. If they were vaguely interested in developing a good player, which they are not, they'd at least put him in an extended squad so Salamander could watch him smacking our national bowlers around daily in the nets and carry water and wonder what the hell is going on Campbell is finally in the squad. I'm almost certain he won't be in the first test. He'll have to wait for a middle order guy to fail, so in fact he is guaranteed the second game.
I have a question mark over him. He's a late bloomer and I'm always skeptical of them. As a rule they've had to work harder, but not so sure about that dreaded ceiling. He needs to not run himself out, or anyone else, so we can see how he goes. I just don't like the fact that he's weak in the vee and doesn't look too good against real pace. As soon as a guy goes hard against pace you know he's not comfortable. I've never seen anyone improve so much in a short space of time though. Curran has looked a bit iffy in his 3 games, but what a tough attack and conditions to debut in. Obviously pointed out by Mawoza and Tender Mawoyo who've had little to say about anyone else's disastrous shortcomings over the last couple of months. That no step thing he has to sort out and/or play much later. Had a stupid runout and a questionable LB which didn't help. You need some luck!! Its early days though. Hopefully he's in long enough to settle down and start believing. Again it will be very interesting to see how he copes with the spin. These guys are the ultimate test of any wannabe batter! One has to prepare for battle and welcome the challenge or you're doomed.
