HARARE - Zimbabwe cricket all-rounder Greg Lamb has retired from the game in frustration due to limited game time and low pay.
“I’m just tired now, I haven’t got enough of the game as I used to,” Lamb told the Daily News yesterday.
“I have a family to support, I wasn’t getting enough money from the game, but I was thinking of giving it one more season. Unfortunately I have to look elsewhere for a living.”
The 32-year-old made his international debut in a Twenty20 international in the West Indies in February 2010 before playing his first ODI in the same series. He played his only Test against Pakistan in Bulawayo in September 2011.
Lamb played for Hampshire in the English County Championship between 2005 and 2009. He returned to Zimbabwe and got a national team call-up following impressive stats with the Mashonaland Eagles.
He them moved to the Manicaland Mountaineers ahead of the 2012-13 season.
Lamb was among the top 10 batsmen in the Castle Logan Cup that season, sitting on number seven with a total 476 runs from eight matches at an average of 36.61. He scored two centuries and a fifty.
“It was nice to get a hundred against the Eagles and I also enjoyed life with the Goats (Mountaineers), they are a nice bunch of guys and they do their things very professionally.”
The Harare-born cricketer says he will now concentrate on the family business.
“I’m into hardware sales, and I would like to coach kids for free because I was also taught the game by others for free.”
Mountaineers coach Gary Brent paid tribute to Lamb.
“He told me this was going to be his last season, but he did very well in the season and maybe he will change his mind,” Brent said.
“He was looking at his capabilities as player and the new challenges he’s got with the family.”
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/article/Spor ... d0a2130f2f :(
Discussion
Greg Lamb quits cricket
Discussion
Big loss to the domestic game. But you can't expect players like lamb and duffin to support their families on the mediocre wages on offer from Zim cricket.
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Tom91 wrote:Big loss to the domestic game. But you can't expect players like lamb and duffin to support their families on the mediocre wages on offer from Zim cricket.
exactly. It's totally understandable for Greg to take this road. Good luck to him, and all the best for his future. This is a huge love on the domestic front, and maybe even internationally, as his right arm off spin and batting could have come in handy....not to be ay
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So we've not lost Ervine, Coventry, Lamb and Duffin to play domestic cricket. We're losing atleast one quality player per year. ZC wont exist in a decade, I'm calling it now
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sloandog wrote:So we've not lost Ervine, Coventry, Lamb and Duffin to play domestic cricket. We're losing atleast one quality player per year. ZC wont exist in a decade, I'm calling it now
I would expect both Ervine and Coventry to play for the Tuskers next season...
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Very disappointing. It is another question if he would have made it back to the national reckoning, but he was invaluable experience at the domestic level. Who knows? In his new role as opener, he could have pushed Sibanda and Tino by the end of another season for Test matches...
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Losing guys like these devalues the whole domestic game. Even if Lamb himself was not recalled into the national team, his involvement ensures that youngsters learn from him and that stats resemble ability. Shame.
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Real damage to our domestic depth. Losing him at 32 instead of 35 is rough. But the game needs money to keep 30+ yr olds.
The Third Innings
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How much cash does ZC distribute to the Franchises ?? or are they mainly self-funded ?? Maybe another reason for bringing the franchise competition back to 4 teams ??? If the franchises are recieveing alot of funds from the ZC then having only four teams to split the cash would free up more money for central contracts or give the remaining four franchises more money to keep players like Duffin, Lamb etc ....... But Im guessing since they're called 'franchises' the ZC doesnt give them much funding if anything ??
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ShareI think it makes sense to dissolve Rocks cos the players aren't loyal to their provincial boundaries anyway.
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