[MATCH THREAD] ZIM v UAE WCQ

[Googly]

Whoever is talking about getting rid of people and mass resignations and another rebuilding phase doesn’t understand. These chaps are the best we’ve got and they’re not bad, it’s a game of millimeters.
If we want to tear anything down and toss anyone out let’s only focus on the c^*ts that run the charade that has been our cricket for 20 years.
We need these players to stay put and bring on a couple of decent youngsters, if we can find any. This is a different level of cricket and you need to be damned good to make the step up from U19 and our FC.

[Googly]

Afghanistan have more wins. Ireland have a better NRR. It's over

Well he didn't get us over the line. I'm sure everybody is taught that once you have chewed a certain number of deliveries you can't give it away. Had that been Regis knocking it around and blocking and then getting out with his first real shot of intent in that situation people would have been up in arms here. Hard facts

Jesus you’re not talking black white again are you? Leave it be man. No one here is having a go at any of the black guys! Why are you bringing this up?

[SpitfiresKent]

What happens if tomorrow is rained off?

Nothing, we're still out of contention. The only way we can qualify is if by some miracle the Afghan/Ireland game ends in a tie.

[TapsC]

The problem is you can't have both PJ and Ervine and Williams in an ODI team. They all need just a little bit of time then they catch up like what Williams did. I will repeat it again. 39 runs in 60 balls leaves us needing to get 191 in 180 balls. That is not a good knock. You can't justify that. Had he tried to swing 20 balls earlier he would give gotten out for maybe 11 runs less. Ervine could have come in. He waited too long. If it was 50 overs maybe yes you can hang around until you get to 50 not when another 60 balls have just been taking off by the rain. That is not a good knock

Dude..they bowled well upfront. U can't neglect that..

Though PJ sucks at strike rotation

PJ faced 14 delivers in the power play where there no gaps. The other 46 balls there were gaps which Sean Williams was finding.

[eugene]

Whoever is talking about getting rid of people and mass resignations and another rebuilding phase doesn’t understand. These chaps are the best we’ve got and they’re not bad, it’s a game of millimeters.
If we want to tear anything down and toss anyone out let’s only focus on the c^*ts that run the charade that has been our cricket for 20 years.
We need these players to stay put and bring on a couple of decent youngsters, if we can find any. This is a different level of cricket and you need to be damned good to make the step up from U19 and our FC.

Exactly. If Ervine has clubbed a six of the last ball we would all be celebrating and everything would have never looked better. If we had lost every game in the tournament and been thoroughly hammered perhaps then we could talk about rebuilding. This is the best team we have fielded in a long time and to be honest a majority of forumites didn't think we would qualify any way. If we had been presented with victories over Ireland and Afghanistan at the beginning of the tournament I think we would have all taken that scenario.

[TapsC]

Afghanistan have more wins. Ireland have a better NRR. It's over

Well he didn't get us over the line. I'm sure everybody is taught that once you have chewed a certain number of deliveries you can't give it away. Had that been Regis knocking it around and blocking and then getting out with his first real shot of intent in that situation people would have been up in arms here. Hard facts

Jesus you’re not talking black white again are you? Leave it be man. No one here is having a go at any of the black guys! Why are you bringing this up?

I never said that. That's not the angle I'm going at. I'm just pointing out that certain players are favoured. Mire is a guy I brought up too. I just see injustice. More of a core players versus domestic players angle. That's my honest beef. Certain players are picked based on preferences and not actually anything we can see like numbers or form. That's just the truth we cant hide from

[Bulawayo Boy]

I admit. I didn't think that we'd qualify at the beginning of the tournament, but to come so close and fail hurts. Are we South Africa in drag?

I also tend to agree with Googly. These chaps are the best we have and there isn't much we can do about it. We DO have some good 'uns - just not enough, as our player base and coaching resources are too small.

The decline of Zimbabwean cricket started long before this tournament and our recovery has been hindered at every turn - mostly by money woes and political interference.

I'm deeply disappointed. But I'm also extremely worried. Does this mean a Kenya route for us now? Possibly.

Tactically, I think Streak would be a great bowling coach but I've always preferred batsmen as Captains and Coaches as they are statistically more successful. Both he and Cremer are a station above where they should be IMO.

The route to recovery, if we don't now collapse, will be long and arduous.

I still believe that both basic cricket and soccer qualifications should be a prerequisite for passing out from any of our Teacher training colleges. That way every teacher in the land could inculcate basic skills for these two sports into the student body and within a generation inherent cricket knowledge would be building up within the DNA of our society as a whole - as in india, pakistan, oz, etc.

Other key factors are:

Revival of core government schools cricket

Regional academies at U13, U16, U19 levels. I.e. centres of excellence.

Student exchange programmes - preferably to Australia.

Mental conditioning and the use if sports psychologists.

Local cricket equipment manufacture

Revival and expansion of club cricket

Basically, to recover, the situation has to be treated as a national emergency and concerted efforts taken at cabinet level. Without that, we shall, at best, continue as we are, at worst, collapse and lose test status totally.

[Googly]

It’s not totally. Guys in the know will be able to ascertain who is capable of playing up, despite perhaps not having great stats in FC or list A. Let’s face it you can probably do ok in domestic cricket here and have zip Chance above that. Take Ed Byrom- he had one good innings here but he’s most certainly and definitely capable above this level- anyone with an eye can see that a mile off. It’s not just about stats.

They’ve got the additional snag of not wanting to drop a guy with mediocre stats when there’s huge pressure on the team to perform for someone they know is going to take a long time to get used to international cricket. They’ve gambled on Blessing and it’s paid off... so far, the jury is not in yet for me. You’d need a special talent to get picked and make an immediate impact, our structures here give nobody a chance to be remotely equipped for that.
I’m willing to bet Cephas is history. Unfair on him but they were hoping he’d take his brand of cricket into international level, let’s face it, it was and is unlikely. It would make him an overnight sensation. Do we play enough T20’s for him to hang around? No.

Many of our guys would be long gone if we had depth, we don’t, we never will have and we can’t afford to lose them. If they want to keep this cricket alive they need to find a couple of replacements. I know what’s going to happen- admin are really going to take their foot off the pedal now. This is the real worry.

[Googly]

ICC and the world also got a skewed opinion about the state of our cricket here. They actually think it’s popular. Great days, great vibe, but it’s not part of our DNA. If we’d charged a dollar entrance those stands would have been half full. Sad but true. Nobody bother arguing.

[Flakeman]

Sad that BT, Hami, Williams etc will never play at another World Cup. People are distraught.