"Zim players you've seen live" XI

jward wrote: ↑Sat May 11, 2019 10:36 pm

I have seen all the leading Zimbabwe players of the last 50 years, so here is my list of the greatest. It excludes players like Mike Procter, who was basically a South African playing for us, though totally committed during his time here, and Graeme Hick, who opted for a mediocre Test career in England rather than what would surely have been a far more successful one for Zimbabwe. This is almost an all-time eleven, but I was too late to see Godfrey Lawrence or Joe Partridge in action.

1 - Tony Pithey

2 - Brendan Taylor

3 - Andy Flower

4 - Andy Pycroft

5 - Dave Houghton

6 - Colin Bland

7 - +Tatenda Taibu

8 - Paul Strang

9 - Heath Streak

10 - Peter Rawson

11 - *John Traicos

I have had to do what national selectors have had to do for many years, apart from the brief period when we had Kevin Arnott and Grant Flower, and put in to open batsmen who prefer to be in the middle order. Strange that this country should have produced so few genuine opening batsmen of real quality. And unfortunately I have only four bowlers, but the only solution would be to drop Taibu, which I would hate to do, and give the gloves to Houghton, who was a better keeper than Flower. Then I could pick a third seamer, maybe Duncan Fletcher (who would captain), or Vince Hogg or Henry Olonga at their best. It's a difficult call. Or else drop Taylor and force Flower or Houghton to open. There's no perfect solution if I am to pick the very best in my view.

Very strong batting line-up, and embarrassing to have to put as good a batsman as Rawson at ten. Choosing a captain (unless Fletcher was drafted in) is very difficult. Incredibly, ten out of the eleven all captained the country at one time, the only exception being Paul Strang, who was a good domestic captain. I have eventually settled for Traicos as probably the most tactically astute of them all, although he didn't have the ability to lead from the front and inspire as Rawson did, although Rawson (like Procter and Sobers, for example) was less tactically aware.

I have limited time at the moment, so I hope I haven't forgotten anybody! The one batsman I feel sorry to have left out was Stuart Robertson, who had the potential possibly to have been the greatest of them all. A beautiful stylish left-hander who was often compared with Graeme Pollock, but never fulfilled his true potential, for whatever reason. He simply oozed class, and was also a superb slip fielder. Unfortunately the selectors often called on him to open the innings or keep wicket, and this may also have affected what was a really mediocre career for one of such talent.

sloandog wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 8:13 pm

Friend was so over rated.