NPL 2024

[Googly]

That was a good game of cricket with the desired result for most.
ZC put on a good show there. Professionally organised and there was finally a fair amount of interest, thoroughly entertaining.

[secretzimbo]

I was there, really enjoyed the evening.

[secretzimbo]

The problem is we now have a club tournament which is a better product with more interest than our first class tournaments

[aydee]

The problem is we now have a club tournament which is a better product with more interest than our first class tournaments

Will hopefully help the standard of the pro game as well though.

[Googly]

Ya that's a good point. Hopefully they can up the profile of the franchise stuff. 30k prize money to the winning team, that backfired a little.
If they keep reshuffling players and coaches in the eternal musical chairs it will be more of the same.

The interest in this NPL from spectators was partly because people were willing on Rangers to beat Takas and obviously the T20 format, especially under lights is popular.

It's exposed a couple of things-
Good players are being overlooked.
Banks never made the u19 side and yet looks to be a really good prospect.
Van Zyl is only 17, hasn't made the u19's and also looks impressive.
Basson looks to be a good player, tight technique and should have a franchise berth.
Schonken is a decent leggie, lots to work with there.
Matt Welch's abilities are being downplayed, he's a proper player, and only 20. If we had a 20 year black batter with his skills they'd be waxing lyrical, oh we do- Bawa, and they don't stop bigging him up. MW should have played at least 2 u19 world cups but corruption and incompetence kept him out.
He should be stopping a good coach dead in his tracks. Averages 46 in red ball as an opener, has essentially helped win 2 T20 NPL finals, can keep, has had no assistance with his injuries, is on a pay as you play contract etc etc. It's an absolute f%#£ disgrace. He's basically a fill in franchise player and yet should be in an extended national squad, are they blind? They're hoping he'll be shit, that's the truth.
Schadendorf has been stand out, yet didn't do well in franchise. Clearly that environment needs review because in a better and more professional set up he's been excellent. In what world is a club team better managed than a franchise one? There's a trend here.

If they wanted to improve the franchise stuff and add interest they should give Rangers a berth.
As with the club cricket they would immediately raise the bar and expose how poorly run other teams are.
It's not in ZC's interests, remember when they sacked the 2 Brents from Mountaineers because they kept winning everything, but the rest of us want to see much needed changes.
Instead I'm sure they can't wait to spread this nice team out between 5 franchises and re-establish the comfortable status quo. Divide and rule.

[Googly]

I'm curious how Hammy can take so much time out of his hectic work schedule to play so much club cricket and prep for a WC? Some long golf days in there as well.
Surely not enough time in the day if you're trying to save Zim cricket from oblivion- 2027!

[Googly]

There was a bit of needle in this game between Williams and I think the Masakdza brothers. He got a bit of a send off that he reacted to. Clearly some old bad blood there.

[Donald]

Matt Welch looks the goods alright.

[Googly]

I also have a problem with this big prize money for the NPL. I'm assuming it comes from ZC and not sponsors.

You've got good committed professional players unable to pay rent and put food on the table from month to month and they offer a fat prize of 30k for the win, assuming it was going to Takashinga 1, probably Takas2 and possibly Gladiators. Extremely glad that backfired a bit.

Same issue with them building two completely unnecessary stadiums where a few million is going to disappear into people's pockets.

Also watching the argument on X between DanielSson and Mawoza. The fact that ZC are happy for Mawoza to be their spokesman is profoundly disturbing. They obviously think what he's allowed to say. Look no further than the oft repeated Pink Rhodesians comment. It's deeply distasteful. I see he now has a team management role. Rewarding a guy with money who has nothing to offer other than having a massive chip on his shoulder is pretty shocking. ICC of course do nothing

I'll point out again that there are committed professional players who can't make ends meet and Frank drinks Green Label. How do we move forward?

[Googly]

More to and fro on X.
I see one of the ghost accounts has resorted to threats. They're serious as well.

It's obvious that you can use club performances to select players for higher levels of cricket.
If you've got batters doing well against the Takas1 bowling attack which includes Ngarava, Muzarabani, Raza, Masakadza, Mufudza and Chipara and you are saying it's just low level club cricket and the batters have to prove themselves in franchise then you have a massive agenda or you just don't understand
That's our national bowling attack, it doesn't get harder than that. You've won't face that attack in a franchise game

This Rangers thing is not actually exposing what goes on, everybody already knows that, but what it is doing is highlighting it in a spectacular way.
Had Takas won (even 1 game) against Rangers by the narrowest of margins it would have been enough for them to say- see they can't cope.

When Mawoza and his Ghosts start making noise it means they're feeling temporary discomfort, and clearly quite a lot of it if they're now resorting to actual legit threats. That's some low level PR

They do what they like, are answerable to nobody, but that's not enough, they want you to buy into it as well. That's the crazy arrogance of it all.
They want to be loved whilst they misrule. The Achilles Heel of the worst dictators on the planet