SPORT
Zimbabwe’s unburdened youngsters could turn cricket fortunes around
BY THREE MEN ON A BOAT · 5 JANUARY, 2016
Unperturbed by the incompetence of those who wear shirts and ties off the field and are misguided in their belief that paying lip service to the Minister of sport constitutes a day’s work, the young guard in the Zimbabwe Cricket national team is starting to demonstrate the duty of care and passion expected of a national outfit.
Doubtless, Zimbabwe will be relieved that they have levelled the series at two all against Afghanistan and one hopes they don’t do it again, falling short in the critical hour. It is a demon in need of death.
The country’s second generation of players is setting about the task of building a side strong enough to challenge the world and accordingly they deserve high praise while it lasts.
As far as can be told, conditions in Sharjah have forced Zimbabwe to shift from a side that at best is conservative to the extent of opting to field first each time the coin goes up, to a side that is brave enough to put runs on the board first only to suffocate the opposition under the duress of scoreboard pressure.
Peter John Moor has been a breath of fresh air at the top of the order and despite his two half centuries of the tour so far, he will be the first one to admit that he would like to convert his starts into big hundreds.
Patronized in his early days during that disastrous Bangladesh tour under the tutelage of the larger than life Stephen Mangongo, Moor has since tightened his technique and his fearless stroke play has played a key role in taking the sting out of Afghanistan, a team that is at its most dangerous when their tails are up.
Luke Jongwe has continued in his meteoritic rise from promise to fulfillment. With the series on the line at two-nil, Jongwe single-handedly master-minded Afghanistan’s demise with an inspired five-wicket haul. It is easy to forget the boy is still only 20-years old given the way he wears his heart on his sleeve each time he puts the red and yellow.
Jongwe’s exuberance of youth and zest has managed to drag Neville Madziva and Tendai Chisoro along and the two have obliged with critical performances. Graeme Cremer the exponent of leg spin, a dying art, has also offered support, first bagging a fiver in a losing cause before being involved in a vital partnership with Hamilton Masakadza that resurrected the Zimbabwe’s innings in the third ODI.
To think the knives were out when Cremer was recalled straight back into the fold after a two year absence tells of the wisdom of those that made the tough but necessary decision to re-engage a never-say-die character to national duty.
Hamilton Masakadza is playing like a man who knows that each game he plays could be his last. At age 32 and no stranger to omissions and call-ups, he is proving yet again that his runs are almost always needed. Such is the level of expectancy in his batting skills that inevitably after a dry period without runs he is the first to get the chop as if to say the team is losing as a result.
In many ways Chamu Chibhabha has gate-crashed his way into the team during this series after initially being deemed surplus to requirements in the earlier encounters. Seemingly Chibhabha saves his best performances for when he is playing for his spot in the side, and when his side needed him the most he produced vital runs and wickets to force a decider on Wednesday.
It remains to be seen whether this fight continues against an opponent Zimbabwe is by and large expected to be streets ahead of.
Although it is premature to describe the team as a finished article, certainly in the last two outings the boys have admirably combined skill, commitment, intelligence and confidence. It’s been a job right well done.
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