The Need For Speed.

Published by Richard Van De Warte.

August 2011, Ceo party party.

Every country in world Cricket has a fast bowler, a genuine strike bowler than can take vital wickets at vital moments.

To be a fast bowler, one requires both physical and mental fittness in order to succeed on the world stage, imparticular in the test arena. For example, look at England. Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan and to a degree Steven Finn proved to the public during the India series that phyical fittness can indeed win you matches. All bowlers managed to bowl at a considerable pace throughout their spells, and more importantly, took wickets.

South Africa have two more great examples; Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, guys who can touch the 145Kph with regular ease because they're fit and hungry to succeed.

You may be wondering where I'm going with this, so I'll get to the point. On the border of South Africa lies a country called Zimbabwe, a country many will be familiar with thanks to the dictator Robert Mugabe and his land reform programme. But I'm not writing about the political situation, it's the cricket that's caught my eye.

7 years ago, Zimbabwe Cricket was in the dumps thanks to the walk out of 15 senior white cricketers, three of which were Heath Streak, Travis Friend and Andy Blignaut: three guys who were classed as the backbone of the pace attack. The walk out devastated the Zimbabwean Cricket supporters and Cricket as a whole in Zimbabwe, and despite various comebacks from Streak and Blignaut, the damage had already been done, and it would take a lot of hard work and persistance to repair it if the Southern African country was ever to recover. In the years to come, a young Zimbabwean side struggled against the poorest of opposition such as Bangladesh and even Kenya, in doing so creating a world wide reputation that things had hit rock bottom.

Part of their struggle was down to the fact that they didn't have a fast bowler, a guy who could run in and bowl with pace and take wickets, a vital component if a side is to succeed at the international stage.

However, years after their struggle, Zimbabwe have resurfaced, and have shown the world that they're back on track to be as good, if not better, than the side that almost crushed the game way back in 2004. Why ? Zimbabwe now have a need for speed, thanks to Heath Streak, the individual who was the main spokesman against the Cricket Board in 2004. He's ruturned to the fold, and since doing so has unearthed many bright bowling prospects for the future.

In their test match against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe had a new ball pairing that brought a smile to my face. The left arm, skiddy, away swinging pace of Brian vitori, partnered by the tall, muscular, bouncy pace of Kyle Jarvis complamented eachother superbly, backed up by the ever improving Christopher Mpofu. In the wings too, there are some exciting prospects; Tendai Chitara, Ian Nicholson, Edward Rainsford, Shingrai Mazakadza, Tinasche Panyangara and Keegan Meth are all products of the new Franchise system implanted in 2009, providing stability for the future fast bowling department. I'm sure there are other men in the first class system that I've not mentioned who will one day don the red kit and the baggy green cap, it's just down to how much they want to get there, and wether or not they're phyically and mentally strong enough.

Looking at the current pace battery, Zimbabwe have as good, if not better fast bowling products than South Africa, India and Pakistan; i acknowldge that pace isn't everything, but these boys have other attributes that many world fast bowlers don't have; They're strong, young, fit, and hungry for wickets. And, if I'm being honest, the current crop of quickies are possibly the best set Zimbabwe have ever had. In the 90's they had Brandes and Streak, in the 2000's they had Streak and Blignaut, two of which were probably past their best. As a keen Zimbabwean supporter, it's exciting to know that the country has a healthy crop of pacemen, a componant that will anable them to win, something that's been too few and fat between in the past 6-7 years.

The future looks bright for Zimbabwe, and if champions like Jarvis and Vitori are being found, well....watch this space.