Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka 3rd ODI

[foreignfield]

We are a country of 1.3+ billion people, and that doesn't mean that everyone here get up every day and start wondering which match to fix next and which international cricketer to snap up for such activities. Surely, there are better ways of expressing this?

The ZCF forum has become increasingly radicalized from an ideological standpoint in recent years. Anything foreign will be attacked in an off-hand casual way and if called out will either be brushed off as light-hearted jokes or a simply doubling down. 1.3 billion people is just a level of nuance for such folks.

Yes. Sadly. With no end in sight.

It has sadly gone from a situation where I had lots of respect for nine out of ten regular posters (without necessarily agreeing with their views on cricket or otherwise) to almost the opposite. Sifting the useful information or the serious discussions from the load of unpleasantness, racism and bigotted self-righteousness that now seems to pervade almost every topic has become burdensome.

The community feel this place used to have is dead. I don't see a way back, unfortunately.

[secretzimbo]

The ZCF forum has become increasingly radicalized from an ideological standpoint in recent years. Anything foreign will be attacked in an off-hand casual way and if called out will either be brushed off as light-hearted jokes or a simply doubling down. 1.3 billion people is just a level of nuance for such folks.

Yes. Sadly. With no end in sight.

It has sadly gone from a situation where I had lots of respect for nine out of ten regular posters (without necessarily agreeing with their views on cricket or otherwise) to almost the opposite. Sifting the useful information or the serious discussions from the load of unpleasantness, racism and bigotted self-righteousness that now seems to pervade almost every topic has become burdensome.

The community feel this place used to have is dead. I don't see a way back, unfortunately.

I am very much one of the ones you or others probably have little to no respect for, which is fine, but what do you expect when a moderator hasn't even signed in for six months? If the place was properly managed then we - including myself - might stay on topic more or more in line or whatever. Either way, I don't think it's quite as bad as you describe and I've been reading this forum for many many years and there has always been elements of it. It's not a new thing.

Also, as for a lack of 'community', maybe the people complaining should try contributing more? Hard when there's 10 or less regular posters. Instead of complaining why don't the large group of people who still browse the forum try and contribute more, start more serious discussions, and try to change the vibe and discourse of the place? Fwiw there are lots and lots of serious discussions that take place on here and lots of information that is unavailable anywhere else online, but it's pretty much the same 4 or 5 people talking between themselves.

I think it's a little futile posting once per month and then complaining there's no 'community feel'.

Humbly invite you all to stick around and be here more.

[CrimsonAvenger]

1. We will stay on topic if the admins are more regular.

2. Stick around and post more to bring the 'community feel'.

A couple of days back, I did try salvaging the match thread which we won from a doom and gloom marathon to no avail. So, there's no point.

3. There has always been elements of it.

There is a difference between a small subset of people going off topic and a majority of the forum activity becoming what Kriterion and foreignfield have mentioned. There is a fundamental difference in scale.

Anyway, there is no point in arguing this. Please carry on and enjoy your banter. Probably some of us just don't have the ability to appreciate this.

[Kriterion_BD]

A couple of days back, I did try salvaging the match thread which we won from a doom and gloom marathon to no avail. So, there's no point. 3. There has always been elements of it.
There is a difference between a small subset of people going off topic and a majority of the forum activity becoming what Kriterion and foreignfield have mentioned. There is a fundamental difference in scale.

Anyway, there is no point in arguing this. Please carry on and enjoy your banter. Probably some of us just don't have the ability to appreciate this.

Yeah when you can't tell if you've stumbled onto a cricket website or Parler, there are issues that go well beyond moderation. Its sad to see so many of the OG posters here leaving in droves.

[Googly]

You have to take into consideration that Covid stopped cricket and there was not much to discuss other than the mask, vaccine and booster scams and that upstanding guy George Floyd and BLM and the American elections. They are pertinent topics and have directly affected all of us and will continueto do so. Our opposite and irreconcilable views mirror the world around us and what trouble it is in.

People could equally be forgiven for believing they'd stumbled upon lame liberal The View cheerleading apologists. Try not to convince yourself you speak for the majority, you sanctimonious little fellow.

We need to call a truce and make an effort to stick to cricket. I don't think you're capable, let's see.

Perhaps some posters have left on account of you/me/us, but others have probably gotten bored of Zim cricket as well. It's not easy remaining positive amidst the perpetual problems. I don't think the many faces of Robot help the cause either.

[foreignfield]

I am very much one of the ones you or others probably have little to no respect for

This was not particularly directed at you, and I appreciate the amount of insight/info you bring to the forum. In that way you are one of the main reasons why I still come here, although your voice also often seems to blend into the sort of white noise that I don't appreciate so much.

But I don't keep a black book of every poster's wrong-doings . It's not for me to point fingers at particular individuals, and the developments here of course reflect broader trends elsewhere.

This place just has a bad vibe now, and it gives me a bad vibe ... and that's the main reason that when faced with the option to click "Submit" I find my self more often than not quoting Melville's Bartleby: "I prefer not to."

The forum used to be a real fun place. We had our share of skirmishes and problems, and there have been occasional posts and threads that made me angry, but the laughs and the hilarity in both defeat and (less often) triumph by far outweighed them. That balance has shifted for me, and that's why I can only digest it in small doses now and hardly post any more.

[Jemisi]

Yeah, I am here and reading, sometimes skimming, but there's a great deal of dross.

The many Robots are definitely a problem.

No admin does make a difference because once upon a time threads would get locked. Well before needing to ban people.

And of course, covid etc has had an impact.

I'm still grateful for the cricket posts whether I agree or not. I also still have fond memories of the way things once were here.

[secretzimbo]

It’s funny how a couple of the people who complain about certain posts or posters, can usually only ever be found contributing to those ‘off topic’ discussions or arguments, and are very rarely seen contributing to anything actually relating to cricket.


To say the ‘majority’ of stuff on here is racist/off topic/terrible, or that you think this is ‘basically Parler’, is a gross over exaggeration. The overwhelming majority of discussion on here is cricket related, and it remains a place with more information around on Zim cricket than pretty much anywhere else. Unfortunately Kriterion or whoever else only seems to contribute to the discussions he proclaims to hate.

We have had lengthy debates and insights around the u19’s, going back 3-4 months across several threads. We have had lengthy discussions around selections. Long discussions around governance and administration and coaching.

We have Logan Cup threads every single round - only about three people ever post in them. Stats are regularly posted. News and insight is regularly posted. People chat about favourite players.

Yet a couple of posters only actually turn up to wade into the minority of debates about race or politics. I see you wanting ‘serious discussion’ but I struggle to see your recent contributions to them. So complaining seems a little strange.



Foreignfield, you would be a great poster to have back. Ultimately the vibe is always going to be a shit if there’s only 5 active members and a troll with 8 accounts.
We need more people posting and contributing and ultimately that’s what improves things. The more the merrier imo. If you want things to be different then try.


We need to stick more to cricket but ultimately many other issues relate and impact the game here. People should be more sensitive with their language on both sides.

I agree a line should be drawn and we should try to get along and talk only about cricket.

If anyone reading this still cares about Zim cricket, thinks this is a valuable place to discuss it, and wants to ‘improve the vibe’ , then be a part of that change.

[Tinah09]

It’s funny how a couple of the people who complain about certain posts or posters, can usually only ever be found contributing to those ‘off topic’ discussions or arguments, and are very rarely seen contributing to anything actually relating to cricket.


To say the ‘majority’ of stuff on here is racist/off topic/terrible, or that you think this is ‘basically Parler’, is a gross over exaggeration. The overwhelming majority of discussion on here is cricket related, and it remains a place with more information around on Zim cricket than pretty much anywhere else. Unfortunately Kriterion or whoever else only seems to contribute to the discussions he proclaims to hate.

We have had lengthy debates and insights around the u19’s, going back 3-4 months across several threads. We have had lengthy discussions around selections. Long discussions around governance and administration and coaching.

We have Logan Cup threads every single round - only about three people ever post in them. Stats are regularly posted. News and insight is regularly posted. People chat about favourite players.

Yet a couple of posters only actually turn up to wade into the minority of debates about race or politics. I see you wanting ‘serious discussion’ but I struggle to see your recent contributions to them. So complaining seems a little strange.



Foreignfield, you would be a great poster to have back. Ultimately the vibe is always going to be a shit if there’s only 5 active members and a troll with 8 accounts.
We need more people posting and contributing and ultimately that’s what improves things. The more the merrier imo. If you want things to be different then try.


We need to stick more to cricket but ultimately many other issues relate and impact the game here. People should be more sensitive with their language on both sides.

I agree a line should be drawn and we should try to get along and talk only about cricket.

If anyone reading this still cares about Zim cricket, thinks this is a valuable place to discuss it, and wants to ‘improve the vibe’ , then be a part of that change.

Spot on!!! I really have no idea what the “the forum has become toxic” crowds are talking about. Zim match days this forum is always the place to be , sharing insights, scorecards, streaming links. I doubt there’s a single ZC official with a fraction of the zeal and passion for forumites have for ZimCricket despite the perennial disappointments. Hell, even boozers cricket league stuff is posted on here, discussed etc. Maybe it’s a cultural issue but universally, there’s a general understanding that conflict is and should not be interpreted as abuse.

Saying Rajput is an absentee coach who is paid to do nothing (he literally doesn’t do anything, doesn’t live in his country of employment, doesn’t attend any domestic matches) and must be fired, is not an attack on all Indians, just as saying Maruma, Chibhabha, Tiripano,Mutombodzi etc are not an international quality cricketers is not an attack on all black Zimbabweans. Stating the danger posed by Indian matchfixing cartels is just that, dislike of these rich and powerful matchfixing cartels not all 1 billion plus Indians just as the Taylor and Streak fiascos doesn’t mean all white Zimbabweans are corrupt. How is this complicated?

I guess the back and forth over age-cheating got people riled up, but y’all don’t see anything wrong with that?? Expecting Cricket boards must do more to screen age cheats= expecting police to arrest criminals. Hopefully by the nxt U19 World Cup, ICC will do bone density scans to verify the ages of U19s and this surprisingly triggering topic will be put to bed!

[Kriterion_BD]

Personally, I have much larger body of posting history (mostly on cricket topics) than the bigotry brigade combined. These topics only surfaced once ya'll started posting, and the proof is in the fact that I've got 5K posts dating back to 2009. I was here back when HHM was spouting his delusional theories (and he sounds perfectly decent by the forums current standards).