[Series Thread] U19 Quadrangular in India

[Googly]

It's not that simple. Cricketers need to play tough competitive cricket games in order to maintain or improve. If you miss a season, especially if you are a youngster it can be really harmful, and I would say in many instances that it could put a ceiling on your development. Zim doesn't offer that. The situation looks to worsen as franchise probably won't start until next year and there is currently no First League. Neither of these leagues (esp First League) are competitive enough and we are falling further and further behind. What ZC should be doing is arranging a reciprocal agreement with English club cricket where players go over there to play and their players come here, this would help a lot. For sure some local players would lose their spot when they come here, but that strengthens, not weakens, the local game. Even at school level there are only 3 or 4 decent teams. Players only really improve when there are multiple tough games. They only play about 12 games a year, of which only 5 or 6 are close tough encounters. SA schools, in contrast, play 40-60 games a year. The gap is ever widening. What is ZC doing about this? Nothing! They blame lack of funds, like it is an act of God and they are not to blame. Having allegiance to a union and a system that has failed them (and the situation is getting even worse) and hoping that they will miraculously fix things is dumb. They are burying their heads in the sand. What is it that the players are actually hoping for? The ZC have never even publicly mapped out a plan that the players can hang onto yet they have well paid PR guys that earn significantly more than most of the players. This is because they don't actually have one, even if they did they don't have the ability to stick to it.
You are suggesting that all players should just sit here and wait for a miraculous turn around. There's also the small issue of trying to make a living. In the old days there was no professional cricket and guys were pure amateurs, yet the standard was high? That's pretty weird isn't it? That indicates a lost cricketing culture. In fairness the economy was such that they all had decent jobs that they could live off, and in many instances the bosses were understanding about cricket commitments.
If a nucleus of players sticks it out and pins their hopes on a ZC revival under the current administration I would suggest they are going to get old and die before this happens. I would suggest that the bulk of the players are actually trapped here and this is what ZC relies on. How is it that guys will just sit back and allow ZC to maladminister without doing something about it? It has become part of our culture here to just sit back hopelessly and pray for better days. "Ours is not to question why, ours is but to do and die!" Do you know that there are less than 10 white senior players in the entire system? How sad is that? s If that is the cost of development I would suggest the price was too high.
Every year the school system only spits out about 2-4 half decent decent white cricketers that go to try and play elsewhere because they perceive (rightly or wrongly) that there's no future for them here. It's always been a racial thing but there is a growing trend for black guys to do the same. If the UK, Australia, India and NZ were more accommodating there would be a flood!! Of these guys only about one every two years has the ability (and perseverance) to make it professionally. These are really sad stats. What I'm saying is that the guys left behind are here because they are pretty much stuck here because they lack the ability. They may claim they are die hard loyalists but it's not the case at all. Of course there are one or two exceptions. The same school system only spits out 2-4 half decent black players as well. ZC claim that the one thing they have done is to bring cricket to the people, but even this is a blatant lie swallowed by most. It would be so easy to do a head count of black schoolboy cricketers. Getting a couple of dozen together for a promotional video is not what I'm talking about either. I'm talking about kids who actually play and practice a couple of times a week. Go down to Takas (the ONLY high density club!)on any given afternoon and count how many schoolboys are being coached and are playing in their broken nets. For that matter, go to any black school with a broken nets and count how many guys are enjoying themselves having a hit. We are so fucked here that it makes me want to burst into tears.
Despite cricket being a big sport world wide (but only in a very few countries), only a handful of people make a decent living from it, it's a harsh mistress. There's no doubt that there are dozens of potentially world class brilliant cricketers that never got the right breaks and just gave up.
I just reread my post and realized I didn't answer your comment-
Maybe they are using the system to some degree, and keeping their options alive here in case they don't make it elsewhere or the situation improves here or worsens there. ZC actually condone this, as evidenced by the selection of Nel, Lake, Burl, Geyle and Bell in U19 and their behind the doors attempts to get Balance and Co back here. They have no choice as they and the country are not offering a viable alternative. If this is your opinion then what's your stance on the millions of black people living in the diaspora? It's the same thing isn't it? Why don't they come back here with their skills and get the country back on it's feet? The answer is obvious and it applies to cricket as well.
There are hundreds of thousands of black guys that would cut their arms off for a British passport but if a white guy exercises any UK options available to him he gets cussed for being a white piece of shit and to go back to England and he's not required here. Sadly this racial rhetoric will never end either. I'm not suggesting that you are an extremist but you are echoing a sentiment that is flawed.

[PieChucker]

You're either committed to the cause or not

What exactly is the cause?

[sloandog]

Well...i'll be quiet now

[Googly]

No, why?
I'm really interested in why u think that. It's a sentiment shared by a lot of people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you can make someone change their mind then your argument is valid. I've stated my case, are u now agreeing or not?

[Conant]

I think you've gone off on one bro. Me and Zimfan1 totally understand that these boys now deserve a better life than they get in Zimbabwe as they have serious talent in cricket; fine, i get that. But what i don't like is them coming back and using Zimbabwe Cricket to show boat. If you play for Zimbabwe, stick it out, don't come back when ever you feel like it to just boost your ego and your reputation as a cricketer who rose from the African bush. No, not on, and I don't like it.

Which is what Gary Balance did. As soon as his stats were attractive enough and England had noticed him, he stopped coming back to play for Rhinos. It was only to improve his game and nothing else, otherwise he would have been back late last season but he didn't.

This year is understandable as Franchise cannot pay but I think you get my point

*Edit* Interesting vieWs by Googly by the way. Very impassioned, if only we had more like you

[ZIMDOGGY]

Googly on the money as always.

I have a question though.

Is it a fair assumption that you are the father of a young up n comer in the school system?

[Googly]

No kids myself but a good friend of Nick Welch's Dad. I watch him whenever I'm around.

[Googly]

There are lots of people that share my views, sadly no-one listens, in fact the opposite always seems to happen!
The fact is that most people with real passion and ability have run out of enthusiasm for the whole thing. I can tell you with certainty that ZC, even if they had the will and ability, will never resuscitate this. We are now well and truly down a dead end.

[Googly]

U19 Batting stats so far:
Inn Runs High score Ave Strike rate
Burl 5 185 79* 46 88
Gumbie 5 160 60 30 60
Nel 4 66 32 16 62
Geyle 5 47 18 9 47
Nyathi 3 45 24 22 132
Lake 5 42 13 8 51
Mumba 2 41 32 20 87
Jongwe 3 40 34 13 90
Handirisi 4 37 19 12 55
Kwinji 4 26 20 6 49
Musoko 4 17 8 5 30
Diplock 2 16 8 16 48
Bell 4 15 13 5 48
Myers 3 13 10 4 30

[foreignfield]

At all age groups up to u18 we are reasonably competitive but at u19 level we are light years behind. This single year makes the difference and points to lack of competitive games and poor coaching.

I get what you mean, but in the age groups up to U-18s our boys only play against school or provincial sides from SA. A substantial part of the difference in competitiveness must be down to suddenly playing full international sides like SA, Pak, India, Aus for the first time.