[Match Thread] Zimbabwe v Afghanistan 3rd ODI

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Some strange bowling changes didn't help, but let's be honest - the reason we lost is because we didn't put enough runs on the board.

[CrimsonAvenger]

Some strange bowling changes didn't help, but let's be honest - the reason we lost is because we didn't put enough runs on the board.

Disagree. Both teams were fighting to lose the match after the AFG first wicket partnership and we won that race. We had enough runs on the board given their batting quality. I would not want to even think about how the matches against SA and Aus would end up with our bowling form like this.

This is abysmal. May be keeping the wicket and captaining affected Taylor's thoughts today? If Taylor was captaining England like this, imagine the Aussie press...

[Jemisi]

Yes, but 25 off that Raza over was avoidable and we would still have won.

[CrimsonAvenger]

Hammy gets player of the match as a consolation, but Dawlat with 2 wickets, Taylor's run out and 4 sixes to win it for them deserved it more.

[lobsang]

Why on the earth Taylor brought Raza back in to bowl the 47th over? Just ludicrous and unspeakable blunder. Had it not been been for Taylor's mindless tactical blunder at crunch stage of the game, Zimbabwe would have already pocketed this series in their bag. Guess what? The afghans will come harder to make the Zimbabweans run for their money. Taylor was the reason behind this loss and he wasted four golden overs that of Tendai Chatara. He is the most consistent bowler Zimbabwe have right now. It was way more than shocking when Taylor turned to Raza, an occasional slow blower, when Chatara had five overs remaining to be bowled. When the fourth and final match begins, the pressure will obviously be on Taylor and his boys to deliver the goods and avoid the embarrassment of being beaten twice by an associate in row.

[StevenZim]

Would Zim be the only test nation to lose to Afghanistan? How embarrassing. Sikandar hang your head in shame

[CrimsonAvenger]

Would Zim be the only test nation to lose to Afghanistan? How embarrassing. Sikandar hang your head in shame

Bangladesh have lost to them the only time they have played them. And it can't be Raza's fault if his part timers are trusted to bowl the 47th over.

[brmtaylor.com admin]

Would Zim be the only test nation to lose to Afghanistan? How embarrassing.

Very embarrassing. First we let a teenager smack a hundred, now a tailender strikes sixes at will. It's really not good enough. They have to turn this around before SA and Australia arrive.
Chatara should have bowled earlier, we needed to attack and take more wickets during the middle overs. BT almost escaped by bowling the part timers but ultimately it didn't work. I refuse to believe that was the sole factor that cost us the match though. It was an allround rubbish performance. S Masakadza bowled badly - no wickets up front. The same can be said of Chatara. We let them get off to a great start and it was always going to be a game of catch up after that first powerplay. Kamungozi and Mushangwe did not start well either. We've got some serious problems with our bowling attack and not very long to address them. And we were 40-50 runs short. Masakadza and Taylor should not have got out when they did - as the set batsmen it was their duty to kick on.

[lobsang]

Raza did what he was entrusted to do and it was all Taylor's mistake to hand over the ball to Raza to bowl that crucial 47th over, considering he is just a part-time bowler with about 15 overs of bowling experience at international level. i had the feeling, as soon as Raza was given the ball, that Taylor had gifted the match to the afghans. it was as if he was running out of time to bowl the 50 overs within allocated time. He might be the best bastman zimbabwe have right now but this costly mistake will call his captaincy skill into a serious question.

[Kriterion_BD]

Have to agree that it was poor captaincy by Taylor to wait so long to bring Chatara. His usage of Williams though was spot on. The guy was beating the bat like he was Murali, doesn't matter if he's a part timer, he got the job done, and sometimes a specialist bowler will have done worse. But to save Chatara was a mistake. To be fair though, suppose Raza was smacked but only for 12-15 runs in that over, ZIM would have squeaked by and it would look like a good move. But Chatara is the top bowler by far in this side and he should never bowl less than 8 overs in a completed innings.