Letters

Editorial address: jward@cricinfo.com

THE YEAR THAT WAS...

It was the best year for Zim Test cricket in terms of wins. Also it was the first time when Zim played tests without two ‘biggies’ - A. Flower and Campbell. The superplayer Flower tumbled many records, equalling Weekes’ record, and set new ones for keeper-batsmen and showed South Africa on Moore-Gordon’s sportin’ pitch why he’s international player of the year. Zim’s stunning reversal of fortunes in the Lloyd trophy created history, a hero and a new hope for the future. The schoolboy followed it with 85 and 42* versus mighty South Africa. The year also saw a new coach and two new skippers as well as an ‘attack’ on umpire Robinson - which is unfair. But "baby Chingokes’’ untimely death, Ellman-Brown’s resignation and Campbell’s sacking were the biggest blows. Wishart and Blignaut’s reincarnation were the big pluses. The yr in ODI was the worst as apart from away series win Zim did nothing. Still, cricket in winter and the first triseries [with solar eclipse] were good moves but they come at the expense of too much cricket which should have been avoided. To sum up, I recall Whittall - “we blow hot, we blow cold, that’s Zimbabwe cricket."

Situ Phalswal (India)

ALI SHAH

I stumbled onto the Zimbabwe Cricket Online website and was very pleased to see Ali Shah’s biography out there. I know that this is a cricket specific site and thus cricket information only; however I just wanted you to know that Ali was a very talented field hockey player as well, playing for the first team at Morgan High. We attended the same Primary and High schools and were in the same class. I am very proud of his accomplishments as documented in your bio of him.

Dilip M. Gulab (Zimbabwe)

THE TEAM TO INDIA

Please send some spinners to India! We really have to have at least two spinners in the squad when we play on the subcontinent. Here I have in mind Ray Price, who has shown an ability to bowl long spells, and Paul Strang. The Sri Lankan tour has been a disaster. Maybe we should turn to a six-batsmen and five-bowlers team as opposed to what we used in Sri Lanka. Playing one batsman less in the side will probably not change the runs we score but the extra bowler may help to bowl out sides. We cannot afford to have a bowling attack which allows the tail of teams to score 186 runs as in the last Test in Sri Lanka. We continue to shoot ourselves in the foot after putting up a good show by taking the top order. Is Blignaut still injured? He would be a good addition to the side as he is useful with the bat. If we have a pace attack of Streak, Friend and Blignaut and two spinners it may do the trick since they have shown they can also put up some runs on the board. In fact Friend and Streak have been more successful with the bat on the Sri Lankan tour than the specialist batsmen. As for the batsmen, I’m at a loss for words.

My team: 1. Gripper 2. ADR Campbell 3. Carlisle 4. A Flower 5. M Vermuelen 6. G Flower 7. Streak 8. Blignaut 9. Friend 10. P Strang 11. Price

Hilario Chinondo (Zimbabwe)