Match Thread : Sri Lanka Tour Of Zimbabwe 2020 | 1st Test | Zimbabwe V/s Sri Lanka | Harare

[Kriterion_BD]

Even the likes of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have better pace attacks now...

Now I never thought I'd see the day

Remember last year when we had that big discussion about the BD pacers vis a vis the NZ pacers with the new ball? The Bangladeshi seamers certainly have promise and potential to form a Test class attack...but they aren't there right now. Barring Abu Jayed and Mustafiz, all the other quicks have worse averages than Tiripano, who don't seem to rate at all. Now, I'm not saying Tiripano is a better fast bowler...I'm just saying the BD guys aren't there yet...they have merely shown flashes of potential in a spell or two here or there. I would certainly rate an attack of Jarvis-Chatara-Mumba ahead of the BD attack in terms of achievement to date. I do think our quicks have a higher ceiling, but that remains to be proven. Allow me to illustrate the raw numbers plus my [expert] analysis:

Abu Jayed (right arm medium fast, age 26) - 7 Tests, 17 wickets @ 36.35, SR 61.8
The leader of the pack, even though he's only played 7 games. No real pace (125-130k) but can move both the new and old balls, and as such is our only real swing bowler. Bowled well in the Caribbean in his debut series and bowled sensationally in the Indore Test vs India, missing a 5-fer due to a dropped catch. His weakness would be his high economy rate of 3.52 which is partly a problem of BD captains usually setting shit fields in most situations. A bowler of his pace and skillset needs to keep things tight.

Mustafizur Rahman (left arm fast medium, age 24) - 13 Tests, 28 wickets @ 35.17, SR 65.8
Still quite young, so he could learn to be more of a new ball bowler, but his willingness to play the red ball format is questionable. Also can't seem to stay fit for long enough stretches of time.

Ebadat Hossain (right arm fast medium, age 26) - 4 Tests, 5 wickets @ 79.40, SR 114.0
I think he's the most Test capable of the current group. He bowled some absolute jaffas in the Kolkata pink ball Test, and bowled economically as well. His main weakness is working on his fitness, understandable since fast bowlers are so under-utilized in Bangladeshi domestic cricket. He can bowl up close to 90 mph (fastest I've seen is 143.7 in Kolkata, which is equivalent to 145+ in the Antipodes) but his average pace hovers in the low to mid 130s which indicates that stamina is an issue. The raw tools are there, just needs the opportunity to polish them.

Khaled Ahmed (right arm fast medium, age 27) - 2 Tests, 0 wickets
Has decent pace, and at 6'2", can extract some bounce given his height, but needs to work on line and length bowling to complement the swing of Jayed and the pace of Ebadat. Does bowl up to 140 on occaision, but is more of a 135 kph bowler, which is decent enough speed if he can find a main skill. Could fill the role of a workhorse bowler plugging away in the channel. Just finished his rehab from a knee surgery following a meniscus tear so he might be back in time for the Zimbabwe Test series next month.

So the entire core has played 26 Tests between them. Lots of inexperience which means some potential. But they do have some balance with the swing of Jayed, the pace and aggression of Ebadat, and the height and bounce of Khaled. Gibson (the new bowling coach) will have his hands full, but also has some tools to work with.

From the current U-19 world cup squad I really like Shoriful Islam, who as a 6'3" left armer who not only adds some variation, but seems to be a well rounded fast bowler as well. I am highly interested to see how fast he can bowl once the U-19 quarterfinals start. I am also keen to see Tanzim Hasan Sakib, who is just 17 years old, but may be the quickest of the U-19ers we have this year. I really hope he can bowl up 140 or at the very least the late 130s.

[Googly]

I see also that the naming of the Chingoka Balcony caused some heat. Lest we forget that bit of our history as well- he presided over the complete demise of our cricket. He took our bank balance from +$10m to -$20m during his reign and dismantled the club structures which was the heart of our game.
He did of course start with good intentions, but so did Mugabe and perhaps even Hitler, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Zanu bigwigs now all want a degree, which they invariably have to buy online or from a local university and they want to leave a legacy. They can only leave a trail of destruction so they have to name roads and stuff.

[jaybro]

You are not going to remove the board bro. The players endorsed them in the end. Nobody challenged them when they held the election. There is nothing I can do about them so I honestly focus on the things that can be changed. They also don't have as much control as they used to. The ICC is suffocating them. They might just walk away themselves. This latest domestic league cancellation is actually genuinely not their fault so I have heard. There are some serious money issues and they are covering the cracks by scraping for national player salaries.

Man these guys ain’t walking away for shit, Makoni is on like 37k a month isn’t he?

When you look at how much crap they’ve copped and how hard they’ve had to fight to hold onto power it proves to me they obviously want to keep power no matter what because they’re getting something out of it.

Also the point that it’s not their fault now they’ve got no cash is ironic, if they weren’t so terrible at doing their jobs previously the ICC wouldn’t have had to do this.

It’s a bit like a bank robber killing someone during the heist and then saying it was an accident, well mate if you weren’t robbing the bank on the first place this wouldn’t have happened

[zimbos_05]

You are not going to remove the board bro. The players endorsed them in the end. Nobody challenged them when they held the election. There is nothing I can do about them so I honestly focus on the things that can be changed. They also don't have as much control as they used to. The ICC is suffocating them. They might just walk away themselves. This latest domestic league cancellation is actually genuinely not their fault so I have heard. There are some serious money issues and they are covering the cracks by scraping for national player salaries.

Yeah, but you can still not actively support them, and stop laying the blame at the wrong people. Raza has always fought for the players way more than the almighty Hammy and yet you are hanging him out to dry more than anything. When Hammy was shocking the last two years of his career, did you ask that he be held accountable?

I get that this board will do anything to hang on because they can siphon the money when it comes in and then play victim when things don't work out. I get that they are crooks and thieves and downright full on skullduggery, but you can't say that this latest domestic league cancellation is not their fault.

Let's say they didn't have the money for it because ICC did not give them enough. Are you really telling me that these guys on the board do not have money to run a basic domestic competition that only lasts about 6 weeks? The guys who drive Range Rovers and live in big mansions, and are members of the ZANU PF. These same guys are the ones you are saying have no money or power to run an efficient league? Let's also not forget that had they not stole the money for the last decade, then the financial troubles would not exist now. The domestic cup would have been able to go ahead and things would be functioning normally.

I enjoy your input, I really do, but sometimes it just jumps all over the place it really comes across as if you are a ZC sympathiser.

[TapsC]

You are not going to remove the board bro. The players endorsed them in the end. Nobody challenged them when they held the election. There is nothing I can do about them so I honestly focus on the things that can be changed. They also don't have as much control as they used to. The ICC is suffocating them. They might just walk away themselves. This latest domestic league cancellation is actually genuinely not their fault so I have heard. There are some serious money issues and they are covering the cracks by scraping for national player salaries.

Yeah, but you can still not actively support them, and stop laying the blame at the wrong people. Raza has always fought for the players way more than the almighty Hammy and yet you are hanging him out to dry more than anything. When Hammy was shocking the last two years of his career, did you ask that he be held accountable?

I get that this board will do anything to hang on because they can siphon the money when it comes in and then play victim when things don't work out. I get that they are crooks and thieves and downright full on skullduggery, but you can't say that this latest domestic league cancellation is not their fault.

Let's say they didn't have the money for it because ICC did not give them enough. Are you really telling me that these guys on the board do not have money to run a basic domestic competition that only lasts about 6 weeks? The guys who drive Range Rovers and live in big mansions, and are members of the ZANU PF. These same guys are the ones you are saying have no money or power to run an efficient league? Let's also not forget that had they not stole the money for the last decade, then the financial troubles would not exist now. The domestic cup would have been able to go ahead and things would be functioning normally.

I enjoy your input, I really do, but sometimes it just jumps all over the place it really comes across as if you are a ZC sympathiser.

You know I had a very long respone to this but this year I want to do things differently. Zimbabwe is a complex place that you won't understand if you have a comfortable life in Australia and you only visit once in a while. This is why I was able to say with absolute certainty that the SRC would fail whilst others believed in some miracle.

I know a lot of these guys and have spoken to many of them. These top players live comfortable lives. Good lives in a country that is falling apart but they earn forex like diplomats. The last thing you should do is feel sorry for them. If ZC was treating them so badly they would have left. You say ZANUPF this yet you have a top white player meeting one of the presidents children discussing business. That is Zimbabwe for you.

So when I cricitize Raza I do it knowing that he has made a lot of money playing cricket and as fans we deserve accountability because me even watching NZ versus India right now contributes to the ICC tv rights money which pays them.

In the end the players had a chance to revolt but they chose different. If they are told to fly from Bangladesh and then not get picked then that's on them. As a collective they chose this. I don't know why we are still on this subject. The board is here to stay whether I support them or not. The players too. Let's focus on cricket.

[TapsC]

If I am a ZC sympathiser then what about everybody who actually earns their money directly through them?

Cremer left. It's not that hard to walk away

[zimbos_05]

You know I had a very long respone to this but this year I want to do things differently. Zimbabwe is a complex place that you won't understand if you have a comfortable life in Australia and you only visit once in a while. This is why I was able to say with absolute certainty that the SRC would fail whilst others believed in some miracle.

I know a lot of these guys and have spoken to many of them. These top players live comfortable lives. Good lives in a country that is falling apart but they earn forex like diplomats. The last thing you should do is feel sorry for them. If ZC was treating them so badly they would have left. You say ZANUPF this yet you have a top white player meeting one of the presidents children discussing business. That is Zimbabwe for you.

So when I cricitize Raza I do it knowing that he has made a lot of money playing cricket and as fans we deserve accountability because me even watching NZ versus India right now contributes to the ICC tv rights money which pays them.

In the end the players had a chance to revolt but they chose different. If they are told to fly from Bangladesh and then not get picked then that's on them. As a collective they chose this. I don't know why we are still on this subject. The board is here to stay whether I support them or not. The players too. Let's focus on cricket.

I don't have to live in Zimbabwe to know how things operate. I have my sources and keep up to date on a daily basis. Some things I may not choose to indulge in, but I am not oblivious. I knew the SRC issue, but I was of the opinion that they should power ahead because it would be better than what we have now, and so far, I have not been proven wrong.

Raza has earned the right to make the money he has. He worked hard and put himself on the international scene. It's not his fault that other players may not have gotten the same opportunity overseas. You can't say, "oh, you got an opportunity to play in the Canada league, or BPL etc etc and others didn't, so now you should be held more to account and pay a bigger price". Bearing in mind too, when it came to standing up for the players, Raza was the one doing so. He was the one fighting for every single player from top to bottom. Not Hammy, not Elton, not Prosper...all players who have earned good money playing cricket in Zim and abroad.

So you cannot be solely blaming Raza for the test loss, and if you want to hold him accountable, then you need to do the same for everyone else. You cannot make the rules fit for you. Lay blame at Regis for his poor tactics in the 2nd innings, or the openers who missed their opportunity to push on (not that i would blame them much). Blame Ainsley for bowling absolute nothings.

If a player gets asked to come back from a tournament to get picked and doesn't, it's not on that player. He got asked to come back. If you are not going to pick him, let him continue playing overseas and gaining experience than have him sitting on the sideline to play video games. No player who has ever left the BIg Bash because their country asked them to did not get picked. Also just to be clear, they never chose this as a collective. I think we know that.

You also know that not many of these guys can just walk away. They have families to feed and look after. For a lot of them, this is their only income and playing for Zim gives them an opportunity to put their name on an international stage so that they can hopefully play in other leagues. Also, some of them obviously love and care for the team and their country. Can't be said of others.

[Googly]

That’s disingenuous, Taps. It’s a captive market for ZC and you know it.
Anyone that has anything better to go to packs up and leaves. I think that was harsh suggesting you’re a sympathizer, I think you’re hoping they’ll reform and you’re waiting for better days because you want these guys to do the right thing. As someone said earlier, there’s now less wiggle room for these muppets as the financial noose tightens and ZC have the audacity to claim that as their own and that things are now being run properly.
Of course they could have started that a couple of decades ago. They’re the same people in different guises despite their protestations to the contrary.
We’re all waiting for better days, the more optimistic amongst us thinks/hopes it will be under this tyrannical regime, but we know in our hearts that’s not going to happen. They’re all about superficial box ticking and papering over the huge cracks, which suits their agenda and that equally corrupt organization, the ICC, who spoon feed them and turn a blind eye.

[Googly]

Muzarabani typifies their attitude. A young up and coming talent, not to nurture, but to take advantage of his naivety and see how long he can go without a contract on a pittance. Some wiser heads organized a better opportunity for him and did ZC try and match it? No, they just waved goodbye because the money was rolling in and so long as nothing is a direct threat to that they don’t give a damn. You only see them when there’s a calamity.
That’s not people interested in our game, that’s people out for themselves that want to show that they control absolutely.

[Googly]

These top players live comfortable lives. Good lives in a country that is falling apart but they earn forex like diplomats. The last thing you should do is feel sorry for them. If ZC was treating them so badly they would have left. You say ZANUPF this yet you have a top white player meeting one of the presidents children discussing business. That is Zimbabwe for you.

So when I cricitize Raza I do it knowing that he has made a lot of money playing cricket and as fans we deserve accountability because me even watching NZ versus India right now contributes to the ICC tv rights money which pays them.

In the end the players had a chance to revolt but they chose different. If they are told to fly from Bangladesh and then not get picked then that's on them. As a collective they chose this. I don't know why we are still on this subject. The board is here to stay whether I support them or not. The players too. Let's focus on cricket.

Again I beg to differ. We need to remain on the subject forever. This is what ZC wants- they want people to accept that they’re incumbent and not answerable to anyone, all under the guise of let’s let bygones be bygones and let’s all pull together for the good of cricket.

That is completely misleading. If they want bygones to be bygones let’s have some accountability. That’s not ever going to happen. With full accountability and a proper judicial system people would be looking at some serious jail time.
ZC manipulated/coerced/harangued a group of people into believing better the devil you know, but we will try and improve your lot a little bit if you just shut up, face the front and tow the line. It wasn’t hard to do that either because they’re not gifted and they fear recolonization more than they fear Ebola. There’s a generation of people that have no recollection that things actually worked because that’s how long it’s been!
And then there’s the bosses who only want it to work a little bit because a properly functioning system requires ability, integrity and accountability. Even if they did want that, which they don’t, they don’t have those attributes.