Afghanistan tour announced No Test match !!!!

This is going to be a very tricky series before the WCQs!

This is a joke surely

I really don't mind that Zimbabwe don't play too many tests, if at all. Its a miracle we that we still have a semi decent side and functioning board considering the state of the country, its a complete mess and having been in the Zim cricket structures they (were?) are just as big a mess. Qualifying for the world cup is no easy task and one gets a sense that it is of utmost importance given the financial situation. Therefore I reckon we need to start from the bottom again. Keep building on club and domestic cricket, keep developing programs such as rising stars and U19 tours, keep opening pathways for youngsters to the top, make sure there is a proper structure (and motivations) to keep talented youngsters in the system, build a competitive t20 and ODI side with DEPTH and most importantly make sure that the cricket board remains financially viable. It is a business and must be run as such.

If this can be achieved and it seems like it may be on the right track the Zimbabwe will definitely be playing test cricket in the future. No point deepening the financial hole the ZC is in and killing off cricket.

Id love to see lots of t20 and ODI cricket in the interim and the development of a competitive side.

Anyway my 2c

Andybligzz wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:16 am

This is a joke surely

This is right before the WCQs. Test cricket (which I love, for what it is worth) would just be an unneeded distraction at that particular time.

after the boxing day test we should focus on limited overs cricket only.. we need as many games as possible and it will be a good way of seeing if Taylor and Jarvis have actually added any value to our team in that format. nothing wrong with sizing the opposition before the big test. especially if this political mess drags on and we don't host anymore playing a few games prior I'm the middle East might actually be an advantage

I'm glad there's more limited overs games, but would have loved to have seen us against the Afghans.

Rashid Khan will be their only trump card. Nabi is obviously world class and their fast bowlers (as fast as they are) will not trouble us. Pace we play fine, spin, not so fine

sloandog wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:02 pm

I'm glad there's more limited overs games, but would have loved to have seen us against the Afghans.

Rashid Khan will be their only trump card. Nabi is obviously world class and their fast bowlers (as fast as they are) will not trouble us. Pace we play fine, spin, not so fine

Dawlat, Hamid, and Gulbaddin are all pacers and all 3 have bowled match winning spells against ZIM. Dawlat has bowled a few of them in fact especially with his reverse swing and Waqar like action.

TapsC wrote: ↑Thu Nov 16, 2017 1:54 pm

after the boxing day test we should focus on limited overs cricket only.. we need as many games as possible and it will be a good way of seeing if Taylor and Jarvis have actually added any value to our team in that format. nothing wrong with sizing the opposition before the big test. especially if this political mess drags on and we don't host anymore playing a few games prior I'm the middle East might actually be an advantage

Absolutely. And we have time for tests after the qualifiers anyway. In fact, that seems to be the planning by the two boards too.

And we need not be this desperate for a solitary test match against the Afghans. If anything, it is their prerogative to schedule their inaugural test and they are the ones losing out if they aren't moving fast in getting the fixtures finalized.

The decision to postpone Tests makes sense but only in the sense that a 5 day match will dramatically increase the chances of injury to key players with only weeks before a major tournament. Its one thing if the top 6 sides were safe, but as it is only 2 teams will make it and with the Windies there its almost like there is only one spot up for grabs.

Cricket in Zimbabwe is dead. No better than Kenya or Namibia whose contests with their peers actually have relevance and context.

Anyway, lets watch Taylor and Jarvis repay the monies that bankrupted ZC.

Positive for Zimbabwe this time is, they don't have to bowl Mohammad Shehzad, who had troubled Zimbabwe with his aggressive batting.

Nabi & Rashid Khan are more then the improved bowler as, they have troubled even the best players with their spin.

pariah wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:23 am

Cricket in Zimbabwe is dead.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know that by now. You don't really have to repeat that in every thread. (Those who are into Formula 1, read this as though Kimi Raikonen is saying this to his race engineer on Radio - Abu Dhabi 2012)

By the way, we can also claim that cricket in India is dead in the long run too, the U19 team just lost to Nepal and Bangladesh U19 teams and did not even make the semi finals of Asia U19 cup. There are no budding cricketers! Widespread corruption! Eventually cricket will die everywhere!

CrimsonAvenger wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:05 am

pariah wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:23 am

Cricket in Zimbabwe is dead.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know that by now. You don't really have to repeat that in every thread. (Those who are into Formula 1, read this as though Kimi Raikonen is saying this to his race engineer on Radio - Abu Dhabi 2012)

Yeah Raikkonen is a beast. Glad to know I'm not the only F1 fan here.

CrimsonAvenger wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:05 am

pariah wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:23 am

Cricket in Zimbabwe is dead.

Those who are into Formula 1, read this as though Kimi Raikonen is saying this to his race engineer on Radio - Abu Dhabi 2012

Good one, but you could have picked better moments to use that one...

By the way, we can also claim that cricket in India is dead in the long run too, the U19 team just lost to Nepal and Bangladesh U19 teams and did not even make the semi finals of Asia U19 cup.

Not to mention being 74/5 at home against Sri Lanka! Keep them coming.

pariah wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:23 am

Cricket in Zimbabwe is dead. No better than Kenya or Namibia whose contests with their peers actually have relevance and context.

Anyway, lets watch Taylor and Jarvis repay the monies that bankrupted ZC.

Taylor and Jarvis have been paid 10,000 USD (match fees + monthly salary). ZC outstanding debt is 19 million. Sooo...

Ask your friends where the other 18,990,000 bucks went?

pariah wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:54 pm

Not to mention being 74/5 at home against Sri Lanka! Keep them coming.

I guess this goes back all the way to SL's tour of Zimbabwe a year and a half ago. I was frustrated that our batsmen were giving wickets to Suranga Lakmal, who had no pedigree whatsoever. And he seems to have turned the right switches on from that tour. He was absolutely brilliant in their torrid tour of SA afterwards, and then bowled impeccably against Pak in the desert pitches. Now this. He has been mostly unplayable in this test.

Possibly the best test match pacer from the subcontinent in the last couple of years?

CrimsonAvenger wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2017 5:32 am

pariah wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:54 pm

Not to mention being 74/5 at home against Sri Lanka! Keep them coming.

I guess this goes back all the way to SL's tour of Zimbabwe a year and a half ago. I was frustrated that our batsmen were giving wickets to Suranga Lakmal, who had no pedigree whatsoever. And he seems to have turned the right switches on from that tour. He was absolutely brilliant in their torrid tour of SA afterwards, and then bowled impeccably against Pak in the desert pitches. Now this. He has been mostly unplayable in this test.

Possibly the best test match pacer from the subcontinent in the last couple of years?

Purple patch. Bhuvi hasn't been bad.

CrimsonAvenger wrote: ↑Sat Nov 18, 2017 5:32 am

pariah wrote: ↑Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:54 pm

Not to mention being 74/5 at home against Sri Lanka! Keep them coming.

I guess this goes back all the way to SL's tour of Zimbabwe a year and a half ago. I was frustrated that our batsmen were giving wickets to Suranga Lakmal, who had no pedigree whatsoever. And he seems to have turned the right switches on from that tour. He was absolutely brilliant in their torrid tour of SA afterwards, and then bowled impeccably against Pak in the desert pitches. Now this. He has been mostly unplayable in this test.

Possibly the best test match pacer from the subcontinent in the last couple of years?

Bhuvi and Yadav have bowled better. Lakmal is solid but he had a green pitch to bowl on. He's quite mediocre on flat tracks. Also Indian batsmen cant play once the ball has a hint of movement.

Looking forward to this cricket. No Shehzad to trouble Zimbabwe this time, but there is another Spinner coming up Mujeeb. Keep an eye on this name as he has been destroying teams like no spinner before.