Random thoughts

Following the West Indies tour & the fallout & with the advent of the story of the 70s Zimbabweans, I thought I'd just share a bit of history of the 80s.

I was surprised when I read the current series was only the 7th & 8th tests between Zim & WI. Most of my posts are of a statistical nature, so I really was caught unawares.

IN the 80s, the Windies sent 3 tours to Zimbabwe under Young West Indies & West Indies B. Basically, the same as what we call A team tours. The tours were in 81/2, 83/4 & 86/7. They included players like Dujon, Logie, Marshall, Daniel, Haynes, Simmons, Walsh, Butts, Adams, Baptiste, Hooper & David Williams. Normally 2 or 3 first class matches were played & in conjunction with a second touring team, it constituted Zimbabwe's first class season.

Since Zimbabwe at this stage did not have test status, the Logan Cup did not have first class status. So, a lesson learned is if the current Zimbabwe administration was to put its energies into the shorter format of the game, they will lose ICC funding by not being a test nation. And simply, I suggest the franchise system may collapse & if players are earning a quid playing cricket currently, only the elite may with the shorter format. I use the case of Ireland who have been told to receive test status, a first class structure must be in place.

But I digress.

Zimbabwe was a popular destination for touring. NSW & Tasmania toured besides Aussie A. And just about every other country sent at least one A team. I haven't my collection of Wisdens at hand as I post this, but I am sure the West Indies indicated they wanted to be Zimbabwe's first test opponent when they got test status & this was recorded by Wisden. Still I am going from memory with this detail.

Which again surprised me that in 20 years of test status, give or take, only 8 tests have been played.

These A tours must have been of some benefit. Obviously it gives a player a greater profile, a taste of what to expect touring & a taste of different conditions.

I note that Zimbabwe last sent an A tour away in 2006/7 to Bangladesh. The season before a Board Presidents team(read A team) competed in the Duleep Trophy in India. There are 5 teams in this month long competition, so one team has a bye. If it was done once, why not try it again. Zimbabwe might even see some spinners. Surely India has an obligation to promote the game. Prior to this, apart from South African competitions, in 1999/00 a team went to Sri Lanka. They were outclassed but interestly the best performed was Ray Price (then 23 years old) & another spinner, Danny Peacock (whatever happened to him?). I would like to see what Price recalls of this tour & how it helped develop him(if at all).

If not India, why not the Windies. A teams have competed in their domestic competition periodically including Kenya. They have seven teams so, again, someone has a bye. If they don't compete in the competition, surely a month long tour can be arranged to at least play against some of the islands.

Money will be the biggest obstacle to all of this. The suggestion of recruiting an asian spinner to a francise might be the best you can get.

For me, I would love to see expansion of the game. The more the merrier. Yes, I understand there would be lop sided games but they exist in soccer & rugby. For nearly 40 years I have followed first class competitions world wide hoping to know the players, the history & the statistics. How I long for a John Ward again as he provided players profile s & interviews.

Anyway, I don't know if i achieved anything here. I felt as though I had to get something out. But I believe if emphasis is given to the shorter format, Zim will go the Kenya route & Afganistan will be the next with Ireland to overtake them.

Thanks for the forum.