Letters

Editorial address: jward@cricinfo.com

THE PROBLEM WITH ZIMBABWE CRICKET

It seems to me that there is a very obvious reason why Zimbabwe teams are struggling at the moment - the weakness of their domestic cricket. To understand the cause of this, consider the following: There are 58 players currently aged between 24 and 38 who have played for Zim at Test, ODI, A team or Board XI level, 12 of whom are involved in the national team tour of India. Of the remaining 46, only six have played in the Logan Cup this year. Most of the others have retired or have left the country altogether.

Of the 71 players in the Logan Cup so far this year, only 12 are aged 24 or over. 38 are under 21, and 27 have made their first class debut. The absence of experienced ex-international or senior players from the competition has predictable results. Although the Logan Cup gives Zim players experience of the longer form of the game, the standard is simply too low to prepare them for the next step up - Test or even Board XI cricket. The national league is even worse, 12 teams is far too many, with the weaker sides being thrashed game after game. How would some of the youngsters scoring freely this weekend cope if faced with a bowling attack containing the likes of Eddo Brandes, Bryan Strang or John Rennie? How would the bowlers do against Dave Houghton, Ali Shah or Andy Waller, even if these players are in their forties? Waller's century against the touring West Indians last year illustrates the point.

If the playing level of Zim teams is to improve, the ZCU must address this issue urgently. I would make the following suggestions: Six top teams is enough for a country the size of Zim. The existing Logan Cup sides should form the highest level of domestic competition and should play throughout the season. The current five-match first-class competition should be expanded to ten matches and a one-day league, also of 10 matches per side, should be introduced. The ZCU must make every effort to ensure that as many of the top 80-90 players in the country as possible participate at this level, regardless of their age. They must find some incentive, financial or otherwise, to keep players in the game even if they are not involved with the national team. It would also help if one or two overseas players per side could be brought in, to further raise the playing standard. I fully realize that a lack of finance and the country's political situation makes this very difficult to achieve. However, without the strongest possible domestic competition Zimbabwe will continue to produce players unprepared for international cricket and their results will suffer accordingly.

Don Hughes (Brussels, Belgium)

Reply: Excellent points - and according to Dave Houghton, the ZCU now plan to expand the first-class competition to ten matches per team next season, with a one-day competition as well.

CALLING ON MR BLIGNAUT

The national selectors are in my view sabotaging the performances of the national team by refusing to select Andy Blignaut. Even if some indiscretions have been committed by the above, his all-round abilities are clearly in demand. He is probably the most belligerent batsman in the country, yet he is not in the one-day squad. Forgive my obtuseness but I fail to understand the selection modus operandi.

George Mtshede (UK)

Reply: This time the problem is actually with Blignaut himself rather than the selectors. He has only played a couple of club games this season, and for other matches he has either refused to make himself available or has withdrawn after being selected, sometimes without troubling to give a reason. It has reached the situation where perhaps ignoring him might be the best solution, and perhaps he will decide again one day that he really does want to play after all.

MISSING PLAYERS

What is the current position regarding the Strang brothers, Andy Blignaut and Everton Matambanadzo, none of whom are appearing in the Logan Cup? I read that Bryan Strang has retired from Zim Cricket as he believes he has beer poorly treated by the selectors (his Test record would support the selectors) but what of the others? Zim Cricket appears to be suffering from an an usual malady: It has an underperforming Test team but should the selectors dare to drop an established player all hell breaks loose and there are cries of inconsistency and racism.

The simple answer is that since Test status was granted only four players have played to Test standard:- Andy Flower, Heath Streak, Murray Goodwin and Dave Houghton. Others such as Guy Whittall, Grant Flower, Paul Strang and Pommie Mbangwa have at times played well. The others to get a run in the team such as Campbell, Bryan Strang, Olonga, Johnson, Gavin Rennie, Wishart, Gripper, Carlisle, Andy Whittall have failed. Marillier, Watambwa, Blignaut, Friend, Ebrahim, Price and Masakadza have all showed promise and deserve a run in the team. Players in their late twenties and early thirties who are not selected for the Test team will drift away from first-class cricket as they do in New Zealand, West Indies and Australia. This creates space within their 1st Class Structure for promising youngsters. Bryan Strang’s retirement at the age of 29 should not be seen 'as as a sad indictment of the state of Zim Cricket'. It should be seen more pragmatically as a natural process of evolution.

With the game in Zim outside of the national team mainly amateur you cannot expect players to continue playing into their thirties and forties as they do in England. Conversely it is true to say that Bryan Strang if playing in the Logan Cup would possibly be the best bowler in the competition but the system must be looking to produce bowlers who can take wickets in Tests on flat pitches against the top batsmen in the world, not against club cricketers on a green top in Harare. This said Bryan Strang has been a credit to Zim Cricket. He has been a feisty performer and made 100% of his ability. He should not be bitter, though; he has played 26 Tests and many ODIs, and has been given the opportunity to travel all over the world. When after several years the Zim selectors decided that they needed to look elsewhere (a decision based on Bryan's Test record) they were right to do so and the varying success and promise displayed by Friend, Watambwa and Blignaut justifies this action. Now, on the other hand, the batsmen..........

Robin Mence (England)

Reply: You must have missed recent announcements that Paul Strang has been released from his contract to take up commentary in the series in India (future intentions unknown), while Everton Matambanadzo has married and emigrated to the United States. Bryan Strang tended to be unlucky in Test cricket, but his greatest asset was to put a brake on the scoring through the virtues of line and length, even on flat pitches; he was also often handicapped by not being given the new ball, when he is at his best. The other players came out strongly in his favour last year, as evidenced by his immediate restoration after Heath Streak's temporary resignation, as they recognized his true quality. Although he did not take many wickets, he kept it tight at one end, and not through negative tactics either, and the bowlers at the other end tended to bowl better with his support.

THE LOGAN CUP

My name is John E. Meffen. I come from Scotland, but ever since 1993 when cricket first grabbed my attention, I have loved the game. However I have mostly been a keen follower of the game in both Zimbabwe and Scotland (a bit of a difference I know). What I really want to know is whether or not there are moves afoot to make the Logan Cup truly provincial at any point; i.e., is there any chance of a team from Masvingo participating, and will the problematic Mashonaland & Mashonaland A split into Mashonaland North and Mashonaland South?

Although I would not like to see the Academy team dropping out, as, as far as I can tell (though results except for their recent victory over Manicaland have not been great), the Academy has been very beneficial to Zimbabwean cricket at all levels. I think a Logan Cup based on the geographical basis of Zimbabwe would be more aesthetically correct. Perhaps the Academy might play as Masvingo, or perhaps (maybe I'm stretching it) there is space for a seven-team Logan Cup (though I'd prefer not - seven is not a good number). I think I'd prefer just one Mashonaland, with Midlands, Manicaland, Matabeleland, Masvingo and the Academy, with the option to split Mashonaland into North and South if desired at some time in the future. Also I wait for the day it goes home and away.

John E. Meffen (Scotland)

Reply: I gather from Dave Houghton that the ZCU has agreed in principle to almost all of this for next season. The Logan Cup is expected to be played home and away over the whole season, and include Masvingo in place of the Academy, as one intake ends and the next begins in the middle of the season. It is not possible to split Mashonaland into north and south, as it is basically Harare.

UMPIRES DID IT FOR INDIA, YET AGAIN . . .

When Andy Flower got two unplayable deliveries in both innings of the Nagpur Test, the stage was set for a big defeat. But then I must say that Carlisle, who was playing even better in the second innings, was undone by a shocking decision by umpire Venkat. He did similarly to Andy Flower in the previous tour and what a turnaround that was in the outcome of the series.

If we go further back to the 92 Delhi Test, the Flowers bloomed in the 192-run stand but again the younger brother got a shocker in the second innings. Human error you may call it but then what about Ganguly and Harbhajan showing their bat when the ball hit only pads. They must learn something from little Taibu who went to the pavilion without looking at the umpire. Dravid then did what no cricketer should ever do - unfair play - by catching a bounced ball. Shameful! Anyhow the priceless find of the series was - Ray Price.

The way he bogged down Sachin was just fabulous. Shockingly, the Indians devised a ‘hide-Sachin’ strategy on the final day as it was clear when Sachin refused the singles offered by the opposition. For 50 minutes he avoided Price and when he did face him, he was castled on the fifth ball. In his illustrious career, this is the first instance when Sachin had been picked by the same bowler in the entire series. Imagine had DeSilva gave Haebhajan out which he clearly was, Zim had done what Aussies didn't.

Also see what is the logic behind only two Tests and so many ODIs. The repeat Test venues also suggest in what like they think of Zim. But, yes, Price proved everybody wrong except the umpires who in my opinion gifted India their third series win against Zim in India.

Dr. Situ Phalswal (India)