Good seamers- Murwendo, Matigimu, Ngarava (new kid on the block, very very good). Peall (injured, but quick if he recovers)
I don't really know the spinners, but would assume there are a couple of decent ones.
Woefully short of top order batsmen. Murray and Welch and a couple of hitters. I see a big big problem here.
Where's Snyder and Huchu?
Who will captain the side?
Apart from the guys I've mentioned I don't have a clue who the other guys are. As far as the reserves go- I've seen Robinson, he can bat a bit and is an opener. Zaheer is a T20 slogger and have no idea why he's a reserve. Jaure is a left arm seamer and is good as well.
My team would be Richard Lock, Nick Welch, Sam Curran, Angus Curtis, Ed Byrom, Ryan Murray, Sean Snyder, Jeremy Ives, Walter Huchu, Kundai Matigimu, Richard Ngarava, Brad Evans, Kyle Hopper. If it were possible to pick these guys this is the strongest team in South Africa. I want to burst into tears when I see how strong we could have been.
10 extremely talented batsmen, all of which have scored hundreds (40 alone between Curran and Welch), 3 hugely talented spinners, 5 great seamers (4 of them possibly 130 plus, or they will be soon) the best keeper on the planet, fantastic fielders. The only three guys that aren't front line bowlers are Welch, Snyder and Byrom.
If you add King and Snater to this side (both a year older) you have a dynamite U19 team. I have no idea who you would drop. You could pick a side that batted extremely well down to no. 11. I don't even want to talk about this anymore as it makes me very sad.
At least 4 whites were selected, better than the usual three.
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
I can't stop thinking about this. I'm having some drinks with some friends and we are all angry about the whole thing, the selection process, the fact that a number of these boys are now at school elsewhere because of the state of the cricket and the economy etc etc. This dream team of ours is an unbelievable group of players. I would put a bet on this team progressing to the semis of the WC. Anyhow we soldier on and try not to dwell on what might have been.
He got a good hundred a couple of weeks ago. Against HSC last week Nick Welch and PJ Moor put on a hundred run partnership and then Welch and Ives put on another hundred run partnership. My guess is that he's going to University in SA, but I stand to be corrected. He should just buy a degree from University of Zimbabwe, I believe they are not too difficult to obtain. Dr. Ives I presume.....
Im looking forward to clash between Country Club and Rainbow too see the talent on offer at the Country Club Academy which keeps rolling out young talent.I was a bit disapointed that we had to reschedule the game but i guess its for the best let the kids finish their exam.
The Under 18 player that sticks out for me is young leggy Blessing Mavuta. Ive seen this lad and for a form 3 boy very mature and organized for a leggy. Rugare Magarira is a good left arm off spinner who is learning the art but has come up the hard way playing club cricket that gives him an edge as he has been bullied and come back a better player each season.
The enigma is Kieth "Jazza" Jaure who is touted as a good left handed all rounder but im still to see his full potential. He is rated highly and im eagerly trying to see what he has. Its unfortunate that somehow Takashinga seems not to keen on pushing the lad.
It was postponed because of the Old Boys T10 festival and the franchise games, not because of exams. The only schoolboys left are Ives and Welch, the others have gone to England. Half that team is Boozer's league. I think Devon has asked a few other up and coming players to join CC but they haven't shown an interest yet. They might after exams, in which case spots will get tight and hopefully Devon picks the strongest side. Good to know about the spinners. Jaure used to be a decent bat but clearly hasn't spent much time at the crease or in the nets. As a seamer he's really good, but I question his attitude. He doesn't seem that committed and he never seems to be physically prepared. When he's having a good spell he's excellent.
I saw in the Sunday Mail that Bangladesh U19 are coming out here in January? Do you know anything about this? That's close and as usual we have had zero preparation. I really don't understand how ZC operates? Whoever tells the Board that they have things under control is clearly a good talker and excellent at explaining away the last decade of failures. The Board clearly has no idea what is required to select and prepare a team and no idea what constitutes failure.