T20I WC what would you have changed (given the available resources)
Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2022 4:50 am
Was just wondering how we could have approached things differently. I haven't watched a lot of action, but clear where we were suffering through the failures. Just my thoughts on what could have been tried out differently, especially after some of the tried and tested formulas failed in the first couple of matches:
1. Would have picked Marumani in the squad to begin with. This was a no-brainer and everyone here agrees with. In place of undercooked Shumba who was away with a longish injury / out-of-form layoff. That is the only team selection blunder I'm addressing. Rest had to be managed with what we had at hand.
2. Would have begun the campaign opening with Wes and Ervine, with Regis at 3. Wes would have had a couple of good knocks at the top hopefully heading into the tournament proper that way and might have acclimatized better and produced more runs that way. This assuming Marumani wasn't picked anyway. If he was, I would have dropped Regis midway based on form and punted on Marumani as keeper and opener. Nothing to lose.
3. I think Sam suggested this elsewhere, I would have tried Jongwe at 3 in the old "pinch-hitter" role in some cases - this was win-win. Even if he failed, we had a death bowler in the lineup anyway.
4. I would have bowled Chatara his full quota of overs within the first 14-15 overs (and he was excellent throughout with his economy) and had him go back to the dugout and have Wellington field in the last 5-6 overs in his place. A win-win. You get the best of your experienced bowler, and also get possibly your best fielder on the field in the business end of the innings. Wellington probably did not have any reason to get a first XI look-in, but why not use the excellent fielder in him to our best advantage?
5. Evans would have played every game given Jongwe batted higher up. We would be one batter less, but Jongwe the batter + Evans the batter are anyway looking better in this format than Shumba / Munyonga + add bowling dimension.
6. Would have ensured we maximized Blessing and Ngarava (and Chatara as already highlighted in point 4) in every game as bowlers. No compromise. And this is also a no-brainer.
1. Would have picked Marumani in the squad to begin with. This was a no-brainer and everyone here agrees with. In place of undercooked Shumba who was away with a longish injury / out-of-form layoff. That is the only team selection blunder I'm addressing. Rest had to be managed with what we had at hand.
2. Would have begun the campaign opening with Wes and Ervine, with Regis at 3. Wes would have had a couple of good knocks at the top hopefully heading into the tournament proper that way and might have acclimatized better and produced more runs that way. This assuming Marumani wasn't picked anyway. If he was, I would have dropped Regis midway based on form and punted on Marumani as keeper and opener. Nothing to lose.
3. I think Sam suggested this elsewhere, I would have tried Jongwe at 3 in the old "pinch-hitter" role in some cases - this was win-win. Even if he failed, we had a death bowler in the lineup anyway.
4. I would have bowled Chatara his full quota of overs within the first 14-15 overs (and he was excellent throughout with his economy) and had him go back to the dugout and have Wellington field in the last 5-6 overs in his place. A win-win. You get the best of your experienced bowler, and also get possibly your best fielder on the field in the business end of the innings. Wellington probably did not have any reason to get a first XI look-in, but why not use the excellent fielder in him to our best advantage?
5. Evans would have played every game given Jongwe batted higher up. We would be one batter less, but Jongwe the batter + Evans the batter are anyway looking better in this format than Shumba / Munyonga + add bowling dimension.
6. Would have ensured we maximized Blessing and Ngarava (and Chatara as already highlighted in point 4) in every game as bowlers. No compromise. And this is also a no-brainer.