Ireland Tour - Discussion

[jaybro]

So if we are going to let the BPL players skip the t20i series, what type of side can we expect? IIRC Raza, Williams, Blessing & Burl are all going to the BPL and Chatara might be injured?

There are also questions marks around whether or not Gary Ballance will be available and if he gets rushed straight into the side ( I think he will be).

There’s also the question around both Ervine & Regis, most are aligned in thinking ZC will move on from those two in this format, but with the 3 best batsman in this format all away, can they afford to?

Personally I think they’ll have to retain Ervine for this series, although considering the majority of the forum have agreed this is a meaningless series what’s the point of playing Ervine? Regis is more replaceable with Marumani or possibly Mutumbami or Madande better options anyway.

Zimbabwe have the task of not just replacing the runs of Raza, Williams and Burl, but also they need to replace their overs as well. Wes & Shumba will have to step up to replace Raza & Williams, whilst this is probably a good opportunity to give Jonathan Campbell a deserved debut as a like for like replacement of Burl.

Also without those three plus the bowling of Blessing & maybe Chatara, Zim probably can’t afford to play an extra batsman as they’ll need all the bowling options they can get. But can they afford to play Jongwe or Mashinge as the 3rd seamer, or they need more of a front line bowler?

Since it’s a meaningless series, do they do something crazy like picking Brian Bennett? Probably wouldn’t hurt although it might upset a few people around the traps.

My t20i squad for this series

Marumani
Ballance
Ervine
Wes
Shumba
Campbell
Munyonga
Jongwe
Evans
Mavuta
Ngarava

Chivanga
Musekiwa
Wellington
Mashinge

[Jemisi]

I can't get my head around this being meaningless.

Aside from agreeing with Solomon that everything is meaningless, we hardly ever play and we are hosting a peer team that is always happy to tell anyone who will listen that we suck and that they deserve our funding.

We always need to beat Ireland

[Kriterion_BD]

I can't get my head around this being meaningless.

Aside from agreeing with Solomon that everything is meaningless, we hardly ever play and we are hosting a peer team that is always happy to tell anyone who will listen that we suck and that they deserve our funding.

We always need to beat Ireland

I think its mostly just one or two posters who feel that any series not against England, Australia, South Africa, or India C is "meaningless". In a way, perhaps he's right. But thats the point of the cricket board, to put their foot down and reach some middle ground compromise with the players. For example ZC should say "We understand your need to make some money, but we have a major ODI tournament in less than 6 months, so you're playing the ODIs". If the ZC doesn't believe the series versus Ireland has any meaning, why are they hosting them in the first place? I thought they lose money on it?

Afterall wasn't Raza the one who was super hurt about not qualifying in 2018? Does playing the IPL increase the chances of him doing well or of ZIM qualifying? If it did, you'd think India would have won 4-5 ICC events since the IPL started.

[CrimsonAvenger]

I can't get my head around this being meaningless.

Aside from agreeing with Solomon that everything is meaningless, we hardly ever play and we are hosting a peer team that is always happy to tell anyone who will listen that we suck and that they deserve our funding.

We always need to beat Ireland

This.

[Kriterion_BD]

This.

Seconded. I mean its one thing if you are reasonably confident of beating them with a 2nd string side, but that is probably not the case here. I think most of us who've been around the forum for a decade or longer are cognizant of the fact that for Zimbabwe series vs Ireland and Afghanistan are just as important, if not more so than ones against India or England. Its how the outside cricketing world forms opinions of those teams.

[jaybro]

I can't get my head around this being meaningless.

Aside from agreeing with Solomon that everything is meaningless, we hardly ever play and we are hosting a peer team that is always happy to tell anyone who will listen that we suck and that they deserve our funding.

We always need to beat Ireland

Yeah I agree, I can’t agree it’s a meaningless series, but I guess the idea of letting some of the guys skip it for the BPL is ok. But I agree with CA that they need to be back for the ODI series as they Irish trio will be.

[TapsC2]

We will find out in 2 weeks anyway. I can't pick up any excitement at all if I'm being honest. Nobody is talking about it. Gary Ballance will probably be the highlight. I doubt the crowds will be that big. This Ireland rivalry is more of a social media thing. Why doesn't anybody talk about them beating the West Indies in the West Indies?

[secretzimbo]

We will find out in 2 weeks anyway. I can't pick up any excitement at all if I'm being honest. Nobody is talking about it. Gary Ballance will probably be the highlight. I doubt the crowds will be that big. This Ireland rivalry is more of a social media thing. Why doesn't anybody talk about them beating the West Indies in the West Indies?

Correct - this is the absolute truth on the ground in Zim despite what everyone above says!!

I love the suggestions that I somehow don’t really follow Zim cricket very much and aren’t a fan, just for pointing out the reality

[secretzimbo]

I’m going to watch the series and enjoy it and be all over the match threads like a rash.

My point is just it’s a relatively minor series and if guys have fruitful deals in a franchise league then we should let them go with it on this occasion. Which is exactly what Ireland are doing!!

[jaybro]

Some good point of views from either side of the debate here, refreshing to see the forum somewhat back to what it used to be back in the day when I first joined.