[Match thread] Only Test - Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh

[hhm]

Can someone give me 3 good reasons why Kyle Jarvis should get a Green Cap tomorrow ahead of Meth??

Yes please. Anyone?

[zimfan1]

Can someone give me 3 good reasons why Kyle Jarvis should get a Green Cap tomorrow ahead of Meth??

Agreed, Jarvis himself has admitted that he is not 100% at the moment and that he needs a good half a season before being fully fit.

Meth has to play in my opnion, he is the best swing bowler in the country and with the ground staff preparing a green wicket it would be madness not to captialise on this. He will also help the batting as i really dont want to see a case of Ray Price coming in at number 8 followed by Jarvis, Vitori and Mpofu

[zimfan1]

Its been confimred that Jarvis is going to play tommorow, not sure if he has got the nod over meth or Vitori is out injured but i dont like the fact we are going into the test match with a guy who has not played a proper first class match in over a year!!!!

[sloandog]

Can someone give me 3 good reasons why Kyle Jarvis should get a Green Cap tomorrow ahead of Meth??

Yes please. Anyone?

the lad has some serious pace, that's all I can think of. Maybe Streak and Campbell feel that if he clicks, and things go into place, he could be a serious threta on a green bouncy track.

But Meth, like you have all pointed out, moves the ball both ways in the air and off the pitch, and it would indeed be crazy not to include him since he brings some added depth to our batting...

[sloandog]

Its been confimred that Jarvis is going to play tommorow, not sure if he has got the nod over meth or Vitori is out injured but i dont like the fact we are going into the test match with a guy who has not played a proper first class match in over a year!!!!

a year ?! what !!!!!????

[takleg]

Cograts to me I just scored a half century of posts!! Anyway, the only reason Jarvis will play is if Vitori's injury is so serious that he won't be able to take the field. I just hope he doesn't bleed runs like he did against the Aussies.

[zimfan1]

Cograts to me I just scored a half century of posts!! Anyway, the only reason Jarvis will play is if Vitori's injury is so serious that he won't be able to take the field. I just hope he doesn't bleed runs like he did against the Aussies.

Jarvis is 100% playing,he has confirmed it on facebook. Sounds like Vitori is struggling with his ankle injury so Meth may play after all

[Conant]

Cograts to me I just scored a half century of posts!! Anyway, the only reason Jarvis will play is if Vitori's injury is so serious that he won't be able to take the field. I just hope he doesn't bleed runs like he did against the Aussies.

Jarvis is 100% playing,he has confirmed it on facebook. Sounds like Vitori is struggling with his ankle injury so Meth may play after all

F*ck. There's no justice in this world

[zimfan1]

Zimbabwe Diary
Mohammad Isam from Harare

There are four floodlight towers at the Harare Sports Club ground but nothing at the top.

There are no lights at the top of these towers as they've been stuck in customs for the past three months, according to ground authorities who mention that paying taxes is the obstacle.

It leaves no doubt that the first and third ODIs won't be day-night affairs, a bit akin to the floodlight situation in the third game of the last series between the two sides in Mirpur. Then, the alignment of the newly-installed lights weren't corrected, hence the last-minute change.

SOFT OPENING
There isn't any fanfare planned for Zimbabwe's second coming to Test match cricket.

Only the handful of former cricketers who were part of their inaugural game in 1992 will be present with the biggest miss on show being Andy Flower and then captain Dave Houghton, who is set to come in September.

But there is visibility of the event through advertisements in newspapers and interviews being conducted in the sports channels of the region.

The ticket price is set at $3 and $5, lower than the rates going in domestic football games.

NO PRE-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE
The usual practice of modern-day cricket coverage, though tedious, is the pre-match press conference. But like the floodlights, there was none at the Harare Sports Club ground yesterday.

A captains 'meet the press' session was confirmed till Tuesday evening, but after arriving at the ground, there were no signs of a conference nor of local journalists.

The general feeling at the ground was that the Tatenda Taibu situation might have worked against setting Brendan Taylor in front of the media.

WHERE ARE THE BANGLADESHIS?
A highlight of the touring Bangladesh team is their acquaintance and interaction with the expatriates.

Apart from just being fans, the expats give the players a feeling of being at home through their hospitality, especially the food.

But none living in Harare have so far interacted with the Tigers or the team management, a huge surprise given their past enthusiasm.
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[zimfan1]

Bangladesh-Zimbabwe Test Starts Today
Sabbatical v exile
Sports Reporter from Harare

Bangladesh have the chance to crash Zimbabwe's party when the home side play their first Test match since 2005, six years after their self-imposed suspension from the game's elite. The game begins at 10:00am local time today on a wicket that, according to those who have seen it up close, is sporting enough to produce a result.

The hard surface at the Harare Sports Club ground doesn't worry the Tigers as much as the practice match wicket that shook their confidence at the Academy venue. The result during that three-day game is still a major dampener in Bangladesh's mental make-up, as they return to Test cricket after a year-long sabbatical.

The Tigers have announced a 12-man squad for the solitary Test, waiting on Mahmudullah Riyad's fitness after the all-rounder injured the little finger on his right hand during the last day of the practice match.

Shahriar Nafees is set to make a comeback into the Test side after one and a half years while Junaed Siddiqui and Mohammad Ashraful are likely to fight for a place at No 4 if Riyad is not fit to play on the morning of the game.

There was much talk about the bowling attack and it looks increasingly likely that Abdur Razzak will play along with the three-pronged pace attack, sources have confirmed.

Skipper Shakib Al Hasan is confident that a turnaround is possible, banking mostly on his batsmen getting it right in a game that also marks their return to Test cricket, albeit after the much shorter spell of a little more than a year.

“I am slightly excited and nervous, since we are playing after such a long time. It might take us time to adjust. Still, I'm expecting the best,” said Shakib during the Tigers' practice at the venue after the official press conference was not held.

“It won't be anything like the practice game's wicket. I think it'll be a good surface,” he said, adding that the wicket might take turn from the third day onwards.

“Since the weather lacks moisture, the wicket will dry out fast. The fast bowlers might then find help if they can reverse the ball. Otherwise, I think the spinners will be effective after the third day,” said Shakib.

Though Zimbabwe are starting afresh, they do have a few four-day matches under their belt, having played against Australia A last month. But they are still playing a five-day game and since they haven't played a single one in a long time, it will be as difficult as it will be for the Tigers. “I think it will be harder for them. We already have to adjust coming back after 14 months into the format and they're returning after six years,” said Shakib.

Zimbabwe's serene preparations received a blow when experienced campaigner Tatenda Taibu criticised the cricket board on Tuesday.

TEAMS

BANGLADESH (from): Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaed Siddiqui, Shahriar Nafees, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Robiul Islam, Mahmudullah Riyad and Rubel Hossain.

ZIMBABWE (from): Brendan Taylor (captain), Tatenda Taibu (wicketkeeper), Elton Chigumbura, Hamilton Masakadza, Christopher Mpofu, Ray Price Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Regis Chakabva, Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Tino Mawoyo, Keegan Meth, Brian Vitori.

Live on TEN Cricket from 2:00 pm

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