I was thinking the other day about what the national side would look like if the rebel saga and subseqent player defections never happened. Presumably we would have had a few retirements (Stuart Carlisle, Heath Streak, Craig Wishart, Alastair Campbell, Grant Flower, etc,) along the way however. Perhaps the team would have looked something like this?
1. Brendan Taylor
2. Barney Rogers
3. Sean Williams
4. Tatenda Taibu
5. Sean Ervine
6. Stuart Matsikenyeri
7. Elton Chigumbura
8. Andy Blignaut
9. Ray Price
10. Edward Rainsford
11. Anthony Ireland
Then we would still have players like Sibanda, Coventry, Utseya waiting in the wings. Of all the players who left in the rebel saga I think Sean Ervine was the only one who was irreplacable. He really did seem like Heath Streak's natural successor. Other than him I don't think the team would be in a much better position than it is now. What are your thoughts on what the team would look like and how it compares to the current side?
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 agree but how did you leave out Hamilton Masakadza? And Tinashe Panyangara?
I think Masakadza would have batted at three and Sean Ervine at four (certainly not Taibu!). Taibu would have come in at six after William (5) and then Chigumbura at 7.
Masakadza is the most talented batsmen that Zim have produced since Andy Flower and could go on to average 40+ in test cricket (only Houghton, Goodwin & A.Flower have managed this)
I don't think they would have picked 5 seamers!
Colin de Grandhomme could have featured too.
Here's my team:-
Ebrahim
Masakadza
Vermeulen
Taylor
S.Williams/de Grandhomme/Mutizwa
S.Ervine
Taibu
Chigumbura
Maruma
Cremer
Jarvis/Panyangara/Ireland/Aliensi
I would go for Maruma & Cremer ahead of Price & Utseya because you need wicket takers a test level.
In my hasty putting together of the side I forgot about Masakadza, my apologies.
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 think from all these posts one thing is certain. The current Zim Side is close to what we would have now with or without the rebel saga. I think the only difference would that the like of Panyangarara, Masakadza, Ireland, Chigumbura, S. Ervine would have learnt a lot playing along side Streak, the Flower brothers, Wishart, etc. One evidence of this would be Taibu. No wonder he is not afraid to take those chicky sweep shots. My team would be:
And against the South Africans he has scored only 1 fifty in 12games at an average of 18.As a opening batsmen and as a senior player i expect a lot more than this from him mate.I wonder what will his stats be if we dont count the matches he has played against kenya mate.
And against the South Africans he has scored only 1 fifty in 12games at an average of 18.As a opening batsmen and as a senior player i expect a lot more than this from him mate.I wonder what will his stats be if we dont count the matches he has played against kenya mate.
Oh really, kartik? How is this for a stastic: in a test series in 2001 against south africa, hamilton masakadza made 13, 87, 9 and 42 not out against an attack featuring andre nel, makhaya ntini, shaun pollock and claude henderson. And i do believe he has gotten better since then. And didnt he make 84 from 79 just this afternoon? He has no statistic against any other team in the recent past because we havent played any!
Well firstly my team is not a "test" team.we will talk abt tht once we start playing test cirkcet.n well u selecting players who made 87 and 42* in test matches in 2001 to tour in 2009 for an ODI series?
I never said he is not a good test player.I just said his odi stats against South Africa arent tht good,We going there to play ODI matches mate.
On current form he will surely make the ZIM team but ill like to c how he plays against the South Africans.n congratulations to him on a great knock today!