Alistair Campbell

Ali Campbell: I don't think the batting is too brittle.I think it's a case of more self belief when we get into winning positions. The age old saying of success breeds success is very true in this case.

Sabu John, UAE:So have faced lots of failures in the past tournaments. How your country people are supporting your side?

Ali Campbell: There is lots of support. One thing you must realise is that we pick our test side from a total no of two first class sides, so I suggest to you that with the resources we have compared to other test playing countries we do extremely well

Ravi Kumar Iyer: Dear Alastair, Zimbabwe is an excellent fielding side. Your team's batting line-up is solid with yourself, the Flower Bros., Evans,G.Whittal, P.Strang, etc. having the potential to play long innings in test matches. You have performed well with Pakistan at least in two test series.
However, in the shorter version of the game, you are not able to sustain the good start to your batting till the last over. For instance, in the triangular in India this April, you lost in a couple of matches from winning positions. What steps are you taking to prevent this in future?

Ali Campbell: Like I've said before this is a case of instilling more self belief in the players, so when we get in winning positions we are able to finish them off.

Anuradha Narayan, India: The Management of teams like India, Australia, South Africa etc. say that too much cricket is being played, which is true to a certain extent, and that the international calander should be revised. But how far does that affect teams like Zimbabwe, who do not have as many tours, especially tests. Shouldn't there be a system where all the test playing nations get a fair share of tests, and other matches?

Ali Campbell: We would like as much cricket as we can get and if I'm not mistaken I think the ICC is trying to put in place a system whereby each country gets a fair share of all the cricket played

sib: q for zim: do you prefer tests or odis

Ali Campbell: I think we're more competitive in ODIs at this stage.

Rick: Next question is a combination of one asked by many people:

Rick: How do you think Zimbabwe will go at next years World Cup? Do you think you can cause an upset like Sri Lanka in 1996?

Ali Campbell: I think we will go very well. Our first aim is to reach the Super Six stage and if we do that who knows!

Glen Scollary, Australia: To anyone in particular: How big is the folloing of cricket in Zimbabwe? Do you expect it to grow larger? Are there any other sports which are more dominanat?

Ali Campbell: Pretty big, and growing every year. We except it to grow larger as we get more and more black players involved in the game. Football is still the national sport, but cricket is fast catching up.

Rick: Further to that - how does the popularity of cricket compare to soccer or rugby in Zimbabwe?

Ali Campbell: AS I said soccer is still the national sport of the masses, but cricket is far ahead of rugby.

Kammy: What is your favourite team in international cricket except Zim?

Ali Campbell: Australia.

Keith: Hi Alastair, Keith here from RSA ... Would your two FC sides not benefit bu playing more 4 day games against the top sides in RSA ?

Ali Campbell: Yes they would. Our B Side plays in the Castle Bowl competition and Mashonaland used to play in the Standard Bank Day Night Series

Kumudu Mallawa Arachchi, Canada: This question goes to Campbell. Why did your team fail in the recent tour in Sri Lanka? Did you satisfy with the pitches, umpiring etc?

Ali Campbell: We are professional cricketers and have to deal with all sorts of different playing conditions. I wouldn't say we failed we just couldn't convert our good positions into victories.

shan: Who are the up coming players we should out for?

Ali Campbell: Trevor Madondo, David Mutendera, Trevor Gripper

Wildboar: I'd like to ask alcampbell why did he keep giving guy whittal the final overs inspite of whittal getting hit in every match of the tri nation series in india?

Ali Campbell: It was not in every match if one looks back at the first game against Australia - he bowled magnificently. As for the other three games bowlers tend to go for quite a few in death overs these days.

Adrian Lee: Hi, this message is sent on behalf of the Craigengower Cricket Team in Hong Kong, which toured to Zimbabwe 2 years ago. We had the pleasure to played with and against yourself and Bryan (Strang). Just want to say HI and tell you that we are well aware of Zimbabwe's performance. Keep going lads!
P.S. One of our boys, Andy Smith (whom you played golf with), said he was in Sri Lanka when you guys were there a few months ago, did you see him?
From Adrian Lee (The only Chinese blokes in the team, who got smack around the park)

Ali Campbell: Yes I did see him. He was in very fine form.

Manoj: To Captain Campbell: What happened to Henry Olonga? Has he been cleared f his problem (suspect action)? Why is he not being picked now?

Ali Campbell: His bowling action has been cleared, he has been picked in the squad to go on tours but with the balance of our side at the moment he has been unable to get into the final XI.

Occult_15: Now that most teams are sending second-string players for the Commonwealth Games,do you think your team can bag a bronze,as you are sending a full strength team?

Ali Campbell: I think you have to be confident of finishing in the places wherever you go and the Commonwealth Games are no exception.

Dave Houghton

Dave Houghton: There were one or two young players coming through, plus we had to make room for Murray Goodwin and I felt that it would be a backward step for me to keep playing, rather than give these people the much needed experience.

Manoj, India: Though Zimbabwe are playing cricket for the past decade and a half, they really havent really made a mark expect for a few upsets like defeating Australia and England in the World Cup. What do you think is the reason?

Dave Houghton: As Alistair said earlier we have a very small pool of players, with limited first class experience, and basically we are teaching them first class cricket in the Test arena. As long as we stay together for a few years we will end up with a good and possibly consistent test team.

Das: I still remember your knock in the World Cup 1987 against New Zealand when u scored a century and came this close to stealing a victory for Zimbabwe. Loved it! But which do you think is your best performance in ODI & Tests?

Dave Houghton: Obviously my best ODI performance is the one you referred to. My best Test performance was against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo where I scored 266. However the one I will treasure the most was my first Test 100 in both mine and my country's debut test match against India.

Windian: Dave, who do you think are the more promising young players to look at in world cricket over the next few years....Zimbabwe included

Dave Houghton: Up and coming Zimbabwean players are Gripper, Mutendera and Nkala. Nkala has just returned from the Australian Academy and if it were not for the fact that he is still doing his A Levels at school I would put him in the National Team now. On the world front I would suggest that Jaques Kallis is probably the best youngster I have seen.

Wildboar: Mr.Houghton as coach of the zimbabwean team what do u think are the teams chances in the World Cup-99...are you aimimg to win the trophy or will you be satisfied with creating an upset or two?

Dave Houghton: I think that we are well capable of reaching the Super Six (2nd round) from that moment on anything can happen. I would not be surprised to see us competing in the semi finals. However our first objective is to reach the Super Six stage.

Monish Datta: Dave, Zimbabwe have come pretty close to winning some tight matches over the past couple of years but they somehow choke when it matters the msot. The final nail in the coffin is missing. What do you think Zimbabwe needs to do to improve it's performances in crunch situations?

Dave Houghton: Experience is the main criteria. The more situations we are in like this, the more likely we will start to win consistently. Winning becomes a habit just as losing does. At the moment we are in the losing habit. Hopefully this season will see that change.

Windian: Which tours do you enjoy the most, and which team are you looking forward to playing over the next few series....

Dave Houghton: I enjoy all tours. However we seem to play most of our cricket against the sub-continent teams, but I believe the season 1999/2000 we have series against Australia, South Africa and England which we are all looking forward to. Personally I would like to tour the West Indies.

Wildboar: Dave Houghton:do u think that having a coach who also plays in the team is a good idea?

Dave Houghton: I only did it for one year and felt that it worked really well. I felt that it was a lot easier to get your messages across whilst being on the field instead of having to wait for a break in play. Sometimes a bad 20 minute patch can cause a lot of damage in a game. Obviously, there are some down points, one such point being who is in control of the team on the field. Alistair and I worked on the principle that once we crossed the boundary ropes he was in full control.

Steve Hull, Cyprus: How are Zimbabwe expanding their base of home based first class players. What are the plans to expand the number of grounds and teams playing first class cricket within Zimbabwe? What financial support does the government give to promote cricket in Zimbabwe?

Dave Houghton: The last part of the question is easy - Nil. We have recently formed the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy which will put through 16 kids every year of post school age, who will then be posted to clubs and provinces around the country. This over five years should put another 90 first class cricketers into our system. As regards to the number of grounds and facilities we have plenty of both and at the moment due to the small number of players a lot of those are not being used. Hopefully they will in the next 5 years.

Christopher Rock - Worcester England: A couple of questions for you: 1. Do you miss coaching at New Road? 2. Are you looking forward to coming back to Worcester for the World Cup in 1999?
I would like to thank David for all the work he did for Worcestershire, you are badly missed!

Dave Houghton: Yes I really miss Worcester and the club. I had a wonderful four years there. In fact I have just been back for ten days and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately there was only one day's cricket at the ground and that was a second team game. Naturally I am ecstatic about the fact that Worcester is Zimbabwe's home base during the World Cup, and look forward to renewing old friendships.

Dave Houghton: Thank you and Bye for now.

Andy Flower

Andy Flower: Wasim Akram and Shane Warne

Rick: What was it like playing in the Princess Diana memorial match at Lord's among so many other great international players?

Sanjay Aggarwal: 1)Who in your opinion is the best wicket keeper batsman in the world. How would you rate Wasim Bari, Syed Kirmani, Geoff Marsh amongst the greatest.
2)Where do you put yourself as a wicket keeper batsman amongst the current ones?

Rick: I think that is meant to be Rod Marsh, not Geoff :-)

Andy Flower: I believe that I am the best wicket keeper batsman. Ian Healy actually! Some of the older guys I did not have the pleasure of watching.

Gautam Goenka: Which was the best match u had and why ?

Andy Flower: Beating Pakistan in Harare in the first Test of the series. Because firstly captaining Zimbabwe to their first test win was a special moment for me personally, and secondly it was an important step forward for Zimbabwean cricket which put us on the map internationally. Beating the "Poms" in Zim was most gratifying.

Everton Matambanadzo

Everton Matambanadzo: My first test wicket which was Aamir Sohail. Getting Jonty Rhodes wicket at the Wanderers in the Triangular Series was quite important as well.

Rick: How would you rate your own chances of making the Zim team for the World Cup?

Everton Matambanadzo: I believe they are pretty good. At the moment I have an injury to get over, but once I'm over that and if I stay fit my chances should be good.

Rick: What is the situation about your injury?

Everton Matambanadzo: It seems alright. I have been playing for two weeks now - not at full pace yet, but it doesn't hurt which is good. I had an operation on my shoulder seven weeks ago to correct the injury I got in New Zealand.

Bay Area Cricketer, California, USA: You were recently in the San Francisco Bay Area (1997) and played some cricket there. What was your impression of the standard of cricket, and is there a future for the game there, do you think ?

Everton Matambanadzo: I think that the standard is pretty good. It's similar to our club cricket played in Zimbabwe. There are some ex first class cricketers playing there from the Caribbean and Australia. Cricket will struggle to compete with baseball and the likes. It is being used in the rehabilitation of prisoners in Los Angeles.

Wildboar: Mr Everton:what does a bowler try to do when there is someone like afridi or jayasuriya trying to hit every ball out of the park??

Everton Matambanadzo: Seeing as I've been in that position and I know - there's not a lot you can do except bowl good line and length and vary your pace.If you keep to your disciplines you should get him out. Also hope that he makes a mistake!

Guy Whittall

Guy Whittall: Every time we've played him we've got him early. The only time he has really made runs against us was when I dropped him in Benoni and he went on to make a 100. We've been really lucky against him. His ability to hit straight on the up is incredible for his size, is a classic example of how to play the game and that is why he is where he is. He also has a good temprament and good concentration.

Neville Jackson, Australia: Do you feel that you get enough international matches? For instance you have had only limited tours to Australia and other countries. Is this likely to change in the near future?

Guy Whittall: Most of our tours are to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. West Indies and Australia are coming here, but there are no tours organised for us to go there. It's like a business, when we start doing well and get better sponsorship we will start to travel more.

Sujay mashru: Which team would you'll rate as the best cricketing nation in the world in both the forms of cricket??

Guy Whittall: Australia in Test matches and South Africa in ODIs

mega_ware: How do you feel Zimbabwe stands in the world?

Guy Whittall: I think in any home series we have a good chance. We always give ourselves a good opportunity on home soil. The only sides that have beaten us convincingly are SA and Pakistan. In away series we have not proved ourselves at all.

Taha Mohammed, India: You love to play the reverse sweep don't you? I loved to watch you play that shot against Australia in India on April 1. You did play an April fool prank on your compatriots didn't you? It was really nice fun to see you bat like that. What was the comment of your team members to you when you yourself got out playing that particular shot?

Guy Whittall: The guys told me that if I had hit the ball two yards either side it would have been a four and we would have come closer to winning the match.

Rick: How would you compare Paul Strang and Adam Huckle to some of the other international leg-spinners such as Warne, Mushtaq and Kumble?

Guy Whittall: Paul Strang has been around for a long time. He has the ability to contain and he may do better if he played with a side that could put their opposition under more pressure - like Pakistan. Kumble is the best one day player out of all of them. Adam has the ability to take a lot of wickets, but on a bad day he is terrible.

Ammar Zaidi, Pakistan: Why are their so many relations in the Zimbabwe team?

Guy Whittall: Because the Whittall's, Flowers, Strangs and Rennie's come from fine stock! They are of a real colonial breed.

Eddo Brandes

Eddo Brandes: Hopefully we are going to do quite well. A few of the other countries have been divided up, ie the West Indies, which gives us more of a chance to beat sides. We will definitely be going all out to achieve that.

Penfold: Which of your ODI performances do you rate highest?

Eddo Brandes: Obviously the match against England when I took the hat trick must stand out. It's difficult to guage as the game has changed so much. Ten years ago 10 overs for 25 was good, now days 10 overs for 40 is good, so it's a difficult question to answer.

sib: What was it like to take the hattrick against eng ? Were u a hero overnight in zim ?

Eddo Brandes: It was incredible. Unfortunately it happened so quickly. I'm not sure about being an overnight hero though! It certainly did a lot for cricket in Zimbabwe. I'm just lucky that I was in the right place at the right time.

Rick: Who do you think was the best batsman you have bowled to?

Eddo Brandes: There are a couple of difficult batsmen in the world - the ones that play shots all round the wicket Such as Alec Stewart, Mark Waugh and Sachin Tendulkar, compared to other batsmen who have their favourite shots which you try not to bowl to. Aravinda de Silva is another great batsman.

sensible: I notice that most of the Zimbabwe cricket players are of colonial origin. Is ther much interest in cricket among the native populaton?

Eddo Brandes: I do think that the interest is increasing. There is quite a big influence at school level. It is trying to compete with other interests after school. Which causes the problems. i think test cricket might address that problem as people can choose cricket as a career.

MaraudingJ: Hi, I'm a South African cricket fan who is very much interested in the development of Zimbabwean cricket. This question is directed to any of the team members present: do you think that the lack of a truly challenging first class structure in Zimbabwe might slow the development of the game in the country, or is there some other method whereby players gain valuable first-class experience? Such as maybe playing in the South African first-class competition?

Eddo Brandes: Lack of first class cricket definitely does slow the development as there are not enough games at that level. I think it is important that we play in the South African first class set up (if they will have us) so that we can play more first class games in a season.

mega_ware: Hey Edo, do you think that Zimbabwe will do rather well in the World Cup?

Eddo Brandes: I would like to think that we will. It is definitely what we are training for. I'm not sure about winning but our objective is a semi final place.

Rick: Eddo, are you personally available for World Cup selection?

Eddo Brandes: Yes I am, if I'm good enough, fit enough and playing well enough I'm available.

Rick: We look forward to seeing you there. Thank you for joining us today. Thanks to all the Zimbabwe team members who took time from their practice session to be with us today

zcu: Thank you to all the people who mailed in questions.

Rick: And thanks to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and the CricInfo Zimbabwe crew for their help in making this possible.

zcu: Thanks very much.

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