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Mutumbami to open

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Opening post


The Zimbabwe national cricket team coaches are set to restore captain Elton Chigumbura back to the number seven spot when they take on Pakistan in the one-day internationals (ODI).

by Kevin Mapasure

Since returning from the World Cup, Chigumbura had been reinvented to a number four, a position, where he thrived particularly during the tour of Pakistan, where he scored his maiden century.

The likely promotion of wicketkeeper batsman Richmond Mutumbami to an opening slot has necessitated further positional shifts and Chigumbura will be the most affected.

Craig Ervine is likely to retain the number three position, where he has excelled, while Hamilton Masakadza will be at four.

Sean Williams will take the number five slot, while Sikandar Raza Butt comes in ahead of Chigumbura.

Zimbabwe will hope that experimenting with Mutumbami at the top will work out, as well as did the promotion of Craig Ervine, who went on to hit a century against New Zealand to guide the team to a crushing win.

In the last few matches, Chamu Chibhabha, who has made the other opening slot his own, has partnered with Masakadza to face the new ball.

That combination is likely to be retained for the T-20s.

In their recent home series against India and New Zealand, Zimbabwe struggled for a finisher and the move to drop Chigumbura down to the lower middle order could help find some balance.

Zimbabwe will play Pakistan first in two T-20s before they engage in a three match ODI series.

The first T-20 will be played on Sunday at the Harare Sports Club with the second on Tuesday.

The Dav Whatmore-coached Zimbabwe side is desperate for some success after near misses in their last three tours.

They felt they should have won some matches against Pakistan in Lahore and they will be looking to make adjustments that can finally deliver some wins if not a series victory.

Pakistan will bring in a strong squad for both versions of the limited overs and Zimbabwe should expect a tough test.

The Zimbabwe squad continued with its preparations at Harare Sports Club yesterday ahead of a tour they feel they have a good chance of causing an upset.

Williams, who missed some training time last week, hit a half century in a T-20 practice match on Tuesday.


Source:Newsday

Seriously guys, how does this work? So we will be starting from scratch again!
Veteran

bayhaus wrote:Seriously guys, how does this work? So we will be starting from scratch again!

Maruma, Mutizwa, Chakabva and now Mutumbami have all opened while guys like Taylor, Williams, Craig & Malcolm continued to hide down the order. My theory is true, all Black Zimbabwe batsmen who have donned that red shirt will take turns opening before another white player gets to do the job (baffles me that Firdose hadn't picked than one up). Even Vitori will be sent up to open the batting as a pinch-hitter before Williams is asked to do the job. Both of PJ Moor's ODI innings were at number 8, and the tailenders thoroughly out batted him, so no way he'll be made to open.

It was a logical choice to say "we have two right handed-openers, why not bring in a leftie and see what happens". This is LOIs and we've seen Hafeez open the batting then also open the bowling in T20s&ODIs. So Williams cannot say workload is an excuse not to open. Why did Craig Ervine stop at number 3 to begin with, and not go the whole way? After all, Hami had been going up and down depending on if Vusi, Mawoyo or whoever had been dropped but with little consistent success really.

What I like about Hamilton Masakadza, and I praise him for that, is he has stood up and said no more! It was laughable anyway that Chigumbura was batting above Williams. Absolute madness!

But this is what you get when you waste time&money overpaying and recruiting substandard&overrated coaches. Even if this move does work out well, Mutumbami should not be opening the batting in any ZImbabwe lineup of any generation!

If it does fail I'll tell you what will happen:

1. One of Chakabva/Mutizwa will be brought back in to keep, and they might be asked to open too

2. If they are not asked to open, Hami will be pushed up open.

Now try guessing what won't happen! Hami batted well at #3, but he was still pushed up to open. I don't see Craig batting well at #3 being asked to open like Hami was.
ZCF Hall of Famer

bavuma_rabada wrote:Maruma, Mutizwa, Chakabva and now Mutumbami have all opened while guys like Taylor, Williams, Craig & Malcolm continued to hide down the order. My theory is true, all Black Zimbabwe batsmen who have donned that red shirt will take turns opening before another white player gets to do the job (baffles me that Firdose hadn't picked than one up). Even Vitori will be sent up to open the batting as a pinch-hitter before Williams is asked to do the job. Both of PJ Moor's ODI innings were at number 8, and the tailenders thoroughly out batted him, so no way he'll be made to open.


Taylor opened the batting in over a third of the ODIs he played and a quarter of the Test matches he played. You've disappointed me hhm, you're the one person I thought I could trust to deliver fairness, truth and facts.

You get the guys most capable of opening the innings to open. No conspiracy. Whether that's Taylor or Vermeulen or Coventry or Raza or Chibhabha or Sibanda or Mawoyo or anyone else, who cares?

More black openers is just reflective of the racial make up of the cricket team - there's more black players.
Legend
Since when has it been the case that it is easier to bat the lower in the order you go? Some days it is, some days it isn't. Depends entirely on conditions, opposition, match situation, etc. Opening is a fantastic opportunity, not a sacrifice...

Anyway, good luck to Mutumbami, but I think he will find it tough. He has very limited experience up top, so it will be a big challenge for him to adapt at the highest level.
Veteran
brmtaylor Brendan Taylor is not in the class of Maruma, Mutizwa, Chakabva and Mutumbami. I don't think you got th econtext of my statement.

But anyway we both know I have routinely commented on Taylor regarding him opening the batting. My point then being he struggled opening against Bangladesh and used his captaicy to "get out of the line of fire" so to speak instead of sticking it out.


brmtaylor.com admin wrote:More black openers is just reflective of the racial make up of the cricket team - there's more black players.

What is permanent white midle order players reflective of?


You get the guys most capable of opening the innings to open. No conspiracy.

J Ward - Taylor is unchallenged as an opener

I think it's time people accepted that what I've long said is not some conspiracy but closer to the truth. The evidence is increasingly damning.
Wsh we cud create an environment where evryone wud feel more zimbabwean thn everthng degenerating into a racial issue. We nid to move away frm ths thnkng,black white coloured n asian we all zimbabwean. Thts why our team kip losing bcz focus is too much on racial composition instead of merit. Bcz of ths evn th ones who ar capable end up jst leaving.
Veteran
If I were to judge Mutumbami purely on the basis of what he did at the Rocks, where he was virtually an opener/their only batsman ...he did well (exceptionally well if you look at his stats) and I had a lot of hope for the young man. However, having been pushed up a level, he hasn't yet found his feet, apart from showing good skills as a keeper.
ZCF OriginalZCF Hall of Famer
This is counterproductive in many ways. This Chibhabha-Hammy thing was gelling in. Hammy has always had to deal with people who struggle to rotate strike at the top of the order (and he gets stuck himself sometimes too), which nullifies any firework he begins with at the other end. If I were Hammy, I would be very frustrated by that by now - Vusi, Chakabva, Mutumbami, an earlier version of Chibhabha have all been culprits in this.

So, Chibhabha - Mutumbami can get really meaningless. And I agree with foreignfield, Hammy must open. That's the only way he gets going well. I would hate to see Hammy walking in to a well set spinner. That's not an ideal situation for him. That is ideal for Williams or Raza, not Hammy. He like the ball to come on to the bat early on in the innings so that he can get his eye in. Chigs at 7 is wasted again. He was finding his worth as a batsman and gets shunted out to a hopeless no. 7 again.
ZCF Hall of Famer
I also feel this is a bad mis take changing the lineup, the Hami - Chamu opening partnership was great they complemented each other very well IMO, moving Chigs to 7 and seeing him bowl in the nets makes me think they want him to play the 'all rounder'. I've always thought he is a good bowler but recently has struggled and he scored 2 centuries @4 why would we move him ?? I have a bad feeling Richie and Chamu are going to get bogged down and give us a bad start, having a strong start is vital to us ......

As for black guys always opening well the point made about more black players is probably the main reason also Williams doesn't have the most solid technique so yes maybe he is being protected from the new ball ? I wouldn't mind him batting first drop where he has had success but Ervine is doing well there. As for Malcolm well he isn't even in the team so they're protecting him from the new and the old ball ......
ZCF OriginalZCF Hall of Famer
Chibhabha-Masakadza was working well. Not sure what rubber_vulva is upset over, he obviously doesn't think the "indigenous" players are good enough. I on the other hand have faith that Chibhabha can excell at the top of the order and already know that Hammy can also.
My All-time Zimbabwe XI
Neil Johnson, Brendan Taylor, Murray Goodwin, Andy Flower (w), David Houghton, Sean Williams, Heath Streak (c), Andy Blignaut, Paul Strang, Eddo Brandes, Blessing Muzarabani
Legend
Absolutely poor decision. Mutumbami hasn't even established himself in the team and he is to open. Quite surprising. For me, he should be at 7 and I feel Mutizwa may get a nod sooner or later in ODIs.

Hamilton Masakadza at 4, can't understand. Elton Chugumbara fared well at 4.

The batting order should be:

1. Justice Chibhabha

2. Hamilton Masakadza

3. Craig Ervine

4. Elton Chigumbura

5. Sean Williams

6. Sikander Raza

7. WK

Or Chugumbura can't be used at 6 too as a hitter & as he's flexible.

1. Justice Chibhabha

2. Hamilton Masakadza

3. Craig Ervine

4. Sean Williams

5. Sikander Raza

6. Elton Chiugumbura

7. WK

If Hamilton Masakadza isn't willing to open (I don't think so) then Sikander Raza can open and Masakadza can slot in at 4 followed by Williams at 5. Why does the keeper need to open !

1. Justice Chibhabha

2. Sikander Raza

3. Craig Ervine

4. Hamilton Masakadza

5. Sean Williams

6. Elton Chiugumbura

7. WK
Veteran
Detective RDS I'm interested to know where you would put Vusi Sibanda & Malcolm Waller if for some reason - injury, earn recall, player dropped for poor form - they had to be in that XI.
Legend

bavuma_rabada wrote:Detective RDS I'm interested to know where you would put Vusi Sibanda & Malcolm Waller if for some reason - injury, earn recall, player dropped for poor form - they had to be in that XI.


Depends. If an opener is injured then I'll put Sibanda in the opening as Waller isn't an opening option. If a middle order batsman is injured then I'll slot in Waller in the same place middle order or tinker a little.
ZCF Hall of Famer

Detective RDS wrote:

bavuma_rabada wrote:Detective RDS I'm interested to know where you would put Vusi Sibanda & Malcolm Waller if for some reason - injury, earn recall, player dropped for poor form - they had to be in that XI.


Depends. If an opener is injured then I'll put Sibanda in the opening as Waller isn't an opening option. If a middle order batsman is injured then I'll slot in Waller in the same place middle order or tinker a little.


I would't be opposed to doing the opposite, Malcolm hasn't really succeeded in the middle order so maybe a turn in the top 3 might get him going ( probably not but worth a shot if the opportunity arises ). As for Vusi its a case of having one of the most naturally talented players around ( In Zimbabwe ) who is forever failing to live up to expectations so giving him a turn in the middle might also be worth a shot since we can't afford to just disregard him all together ......
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