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Zim simply not good enough: Butcher

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Opening post

http://dailynews.co.zw/article/Sport/6e ... 2ccbbeeee9


HARARE - Departing Zimbabwe cricket coach Alan Butcher has admitted the team lacks quality to challenge other international sides following a dismal tour of the West Indies last month, where they were whitewashed in all three formats of the game.

The Englishman returns home this evening after three action-packed years in charge of the African side, having started brightly with a tri-series final appearance against India and Sri Lanka in 2010 and triumphant return to Test cricket in 2011.

The Zimbabwean team was surrounded by controversy before the Caribbean tour, with a bitter race row over the national selection panel composition dominating newspapers’ headlines.

Rumour was rife that the off-field standoff could have influenced performance on tour, talk which has been dismissed by Butcher as “rubbish.”

“I will tell you right now that every time we perform badly, within ZC, the press and people everywhere, there is talk that there must be something (wrong) going on,” Butcher told the Daily News yesterday.

“But I tell you that in every case that it’s absolutely rubbish. In every case the players have not performed well enough or are not good enough, and that’s the bottom line.

“Never has there been any protest or dressing room unrest. The sooner people stop concentrating on that rubbish and start to address or accepting the fact that the players are not good enough, the quicker we move on. ”

Butcher however reserved special praise for the bowlers, especially spearhead Kyle Jarvis, debutant seamer Tendai Chatara and off-spinner Prosper Utseya for their commendable performances in the Caribbean.

“We didn’t get enough runs, we did fine with the ball and in the field and I thought the bowlers did alright and thought that we matched them pretty well,” he said.

Meanwhile, the national team got in camp on Wednesday in preparation for the upcoming home series against Bangladesh that gets underway with the first Test match at Harare Sports Club on April 17.


Not sure what sterling performances Utseya put in. Clearly, Mushangwe outdid him in the ODIs.
ZCF Hall of Famer
We'll probably hear more from Butcher about Zimbabwean cricket in the fullness of time.

I agree with you on Utseya, CrimsonAvenger. My concern is for Graeme Cremer primarily; I think with Utseya that 3/60 is pretty deceiving as that's probably his glass ceiling. I can't see him ever ripping through a Test line-up, or bowling brilliant spells with dip and flight and spin that deceives batsmen and causes problems like Shillingford did to us. I can see Cremer developing into this sort of player though - we've seen more than just glimpses of it. Cremer's got more room for improvement before he hits his glass ceiling.

Do whatever with Utseya in the limited overs team, but at least give Cremer a chance to develop into a successful Test match bowler.
Veteran

CrimsonAvenger wrote:
“Never has there been any protest or dressing room unrest. The sooner people stop concentrating on that rubbish and start to address or accepting the fact that the players are not good enough, the quicker we move on. ”


Naive! Saying they are not good enough is just not true. Underplaying the conditions of which they have to play under. That affects your psyche and performance as well. I would have expected better insight from Butcher.
Veteran
Full Story Here


Senior Sports Reporter

OUTGOING Zimbabwe national cricket team coach Alan Butcher firmly believes that he leaves Zimbabwe cricket in a much better state than it was when he took up the position three years ago.

Players such as fast bowlers Brian Vitori and Tendai Chatara burst into the scene while left handed batsman Craig Ervine has improved his batting since Butcher assumed the national coaching position.

“I certainly leave Zimbabwe cricket in a better position than it was when I took over, the batsmen’s technique have improved and the bowlers have become better. Of concern to me is the poor form away,” said Butcher.

“I had expected the team to perform a lot better than they did in the West Indies but the batsmen let us down, they did not put enough runs on board. I now believe they are not good enough because we did not leave anyone behind who should have been on the tour,” Butcher said.
Legend

bayhaus wrote:

CrimsonAvenger wrote:
“Never has there been any protest or dressing room unrest. The sooner people stop concentrating on that rubbish and start to address or accepting the fact that the players are not good enough, the quicker we move on. ”


Naive! Saying they are not good enough is just not true. Underplaying the conditions of which they have to play under. That affects your psyche and performance as well. I would have expected better insight from Butcher.


How is it naive, when he was a member of that dressing room... You could argue that he is lying, if you want to, but not that it's naive...

And the players are not good enough. Period.
Veteran

aydee wrote:... You could argue that he is lying, if you want to, but not that it's naive...


Okay then he is lying. Period. if our players are not good enough, that means even if half the team come to the party, we still won't be competative, which I disagree with. Our players have been affected psychologically even if we chucked KP under our Zim conditions we would also be calling for his head to be axed from the Zimbabwe team.
ZCF OriginalZCF Hall of Famer

bayhaus wrote:

aydee wrote:... You could argue that he is lying, if you want to, but not that it's naive...


Okay then he is lying. Period. if our players are not good enough, that means even if half the team come to the party, we still won't be competative, which I disagree with. Our players have been affected psychologically even if we chucked KP under our Zim conditions we would also be calling for his head to be axed from the Zimbabwe team.


What would be his motivation for lying though? Its one thing if he's still under contract but an outgoing coach is expected to be fairly frank in his assessment. The core ZIM squad I believe are financially solvent enough (from non ZC income) and have enough job security to not be overly worried. Fringe players might not have this, but the majority of the ZIM squad have been around long enough to indicate that they don't rely on ZC for their living, nor should they be surprised by political issues.
Bangladesh cricket fanatic, observer of all others.
Veteran

Kriterion_BD wrote:What would be his motivation for lying though?


I cannot go into Butchers motivations but this statement

Never has there been any protest or dressing room unrest


Is far from the truth! Thats why he is either naive if he couldnt read the mood in the dressing room or maybe just being diplomatic which really just amounts to lying. Will see when he is in the comfort of the UK if he will spill any beans...
Veteran

aydee wrote:
And the players are not good enough. Period.


That's the bottom line. We Zimbos are an optimistic bunch but let's face the facts here. NZ, who performed well in world cups, who pushed England, can compete and on their day beat anyone or indeed fold 47-all out against SA. We Zimbabweans consistently get failure but we are always hopeful. After each bad series we are back on this forum, picking our best XIs and hoping to win. And we never do. Unless it's Bangladesh and even they win more than they lose to us.
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