Zim Board XI & Chairman XI picked

[ZIMDOGGY]

I wonder who you guys think will be the next guy not part of the big 4 to score an international century?
The candidates have to be Burl Musakanda Wes Prince Murray Shumba Myers PJ and Kasuza.

I'm going for Ryan Murray in a test match meaning that it won't happen this year. Don't see any of the guys getting an ODI century although I think Tari could come close. Maybe Burl if he opens but I'm sticking with my first pick

From what I’ve seen,
Wes- no.
Controversial opinion because he’s the darling atm, but when I think about it, I’ve seen nothing to suggest he’s not in the ‘Zimbo century’ club. Throughout the WC campaign he got out just after fifty a lot. As he did against Bangladesh. Granted, he’s super talented and is hitting fifties with ease, but atm I’m getting the feeling he’s a young black version of Sean Williams. This is still a compliment. He will just take time to start hitting centuries. Eventually possibly our best.

Kasuza- No. Fuck no. Too slow. Buys too much time to get out. Very much a card carrying zimbo century member.

Murray- No. purely because I’ve seen no indication he will be part of the setup soon, and then he will need a few innings to get settled, even more to get into the swing of super competitive cricket. He’s a long term prospect. One of the guys no one has shown online Universities options too.

Burl- No/outside chance. He needs to break into the team first and get that fifty out of the way, and be up the earlier batting slots. He ain’t doing it from number 8. He is a small chance though.

Musakanda- See above. He is Burl, but black. More likely to be up the order so probably slightly better chance if he commits.

Prince- Yes. He’s matured. He’s had a few fifties and just got one in first class. He opens so is in the spot to do it against the hard red ball. Only thing going against him is a PTSD history.

Shumba-yes! My pick. He will bat high. And got that century in one of his first 1st class digs. The reason why he’s my pick is because of what John Ward said. That he was being peppered and felt out of his depth, but battled through it, all the way to a century. He didn’t relax after fifty like everyone else does in the country. He pushed through. I think he will be a feast or famine type player like Ali Campbell was. Ducks and centuries. He won’t do it in 2020 though. We are a year away from a non Raza/Ervine/BT/Williams century, at earliest.

Agreed on all of those except for Prince. He looked far too limited vs BD to be a 100 quality batter. He had to be dropped 3 or 4 times just to score 60 odd. Imagine what a good fielding side like NZ could do. He might not get off the mark in an entire series!

Yeah you are probably right. I was trying to be optimistic. But in all likelihood, he won’t. We need to keep in mind that Sri Lankan attack was weak and the Bangla boys aren’t exactly Dale Steyn. I do think he might have a bit of tenacity to him, but he’s limited.

[eugene]

Prince could be our version of Mark Richardson. A limited but gritty test opener. I wouldn't underestimate the Prince.

[Kriterion_BD]

Prince could be our version of Mark Richardson. A limited but gritty test opener. I wouldn't underestimate the Prince.

Prince is a lesser version of Tino Mawoyo. Mawoyo was a 20 average talent that ended up getting a 30+ avg due to his grit and determination. Prince is probably a 17-18 average guy who will end up averaging 25 or so.

[Donald]

Nobody has mentioned dion Myers

I mean what the actual hell is going on here.

[ZIMDOGGY]

Nobody has mentioned dion Myers

I mean what the actual hell is going on here.

He has been reported as heading to England to study.

He’s another person who hasn’t discovered that all major universities have online study options, tailored to full time workers or pro athletes.


He will pop up again in 4 years with the career growth and trajectory of Donald Tiripano.

[jaybro]

He will pop up again in 4 years with the career growth and trajectory of Donald Tiripano.

That would be disappointing to say the least

[CrimsonAvenger]

The tough part of predicting the next Zimbabwean centurion is, we don't know when, if at all, we play our next test. So, that rules our the likes of Prince, Kasuza and even Moor to a large extent, naturally.

Then if we come down to shorter formats, it will have to be someone who bats up the order.

While a lot of people here have pointed out that Kamunhukamwe lacks the technique and is a hack like Zhowao and Mire (lesser extent) based on the BD series, it could all be due to the game plan and that he was given the license to go hammer and tongs. He may not be a natural at that. My memory of his debut innings where he opened with Masakadza (?) was quite different, he looked much betterorganized.

So, my money for the next centurion is among:
Kamunhukamwe vs a lesser team like a depleted Ireland or Afghanistan or may be Nepal?
Moor if he can get back to the ODI setup and opens
Musakanda if he can get back to the setup and bats in top 4
Burl if he can get back to the setup and bats in top 4
Wesley (so low because he is coming in at 5 - may run out of partners, his chances improve if he further goes up the order.

This list is in the order of my confidence. In all, by end of 2021, I'd like to see at least 1 hundred next to each of these names. I'm not considering Murray, Myers and Shumba because they have to come into the team first and settle in. They are an unknown entity for now.

[Donald]

Some of shumba innings in the tri series were interesting. The 50 he got against India was very patient while the 29 he scored against new Zealand he was swinging like a barn door every other ball.

[Googly]

Myers is Head Boy at St George’s, which means he’s in his last year. He most certainly has options. As Head Boy he’ll be academic and he is most certain to end up at a university overseas.
People want to live and gain life experiences and enrich their lives. No kid with above average intelligence wants to be stuck here, particularly as a pawn of a bunch of brainless thieving muppets that care not what happens to them.
When you see the best black guys we’ve had in recent times all wanting to get the hell out of Dodge it vindicates all that has been said about these incompetent people that run our cricket.
If and when he goes the serious list of black lads voting with their feet reads- Bawa, Myers, Muyeye, Matigimu and a couple of others.
They’re not spoilt for choice with cricketing opportunities overseas though, that door is fast closing.
My advice is get a degree, see the world and free yourself of any ideas of these people having your interests at heart. if your cricket suffers that’s a small price to pay for being able to provide for yourself and your future families, cricket has basically become an amateur sport in Zim, you won’t be able to provide for a hamster here, let alone raise a family.
Highly paid professional administrators and amateur cricketers who can’t see the truth for what it is.

[ZIMDOGGY]

But I don’t think that being close to your family and friends, studying your bachelors degree of choice online and playing and jetting* around the world as an international cricketer is a bad alternative either.

Edit: Jetting, not betting. I’m not Chris Cairns.