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On the Subject of Timely Successes...
CricInfo's Steven Price has an unusually positive look at Zimbabwe's recent series win against Bangladesh - I'm used to his opinion pieces being laden with gloom and doom, which makes this piece particularly nice to see. The full article is worth reading, but for me this is the highlight:
"The series victory is a major landmark as Zimbabwe struggles to mend its defaced public image. The last notable achievement came a few months back when, after losing an ODI series in the West Indies, they bounced back with easy victories over Bermuda and Canada. That triumph dispelled, and convincingly so, suggestions that they had plummeted to the levels of the Associate nations.
The players' lap of honour after the series clinching-win on Friday brought them and the fans into total harmony. For the administrators, the sight of spectators going into overdrive must have left them amazed. Here was a reminder of the power of sport, even in a country that is going to rack and ruin."
He then indulges in a little wishful thinking on the way forward for the game's administration:
"To build on that Bangladesh win is what every sensible person is talking about. Building on the win means a lot of things. It means getting back players who have left, and finding a good blend with the current crop. It means bringing back transparency in the constitutional process and administration system. It means cultivating confidence, and winning back the trust of each other in spite of past differences.
Most importantly it means healing domestic cricket, as the lifeblood of the game in the country. Already, some splinter clubs are reported to be coming back into "the official system" to form a stronger national league next season. It also means clipping the wings of individuals and eradicating repression, and bringing sanity and transparency into selection.
This requires good faith if it is to be done. Ultimatums and mudslinging have failed. Stakeholders, the influencial older people in Zimbabwe cricket, owe it to each other to revive Zimbabwe cricket together. They owe it to the players, who get entangled in a trap when they fight. And they owe it to the supporters, and to everyone who cares about Zimbabwe cricket."
I echo the sentiment, but I wonder if the wounds ZC has inflicted on itself aren't too great to be healed by a series win. The key test will come when the SRC names its appointess to the new ZC board - if it names people with long years of experience in cricket administration, regardless of their background, then the road ahead will look a lot brighter. If, as I suspect will happen, we get a group of placemen with limited cricketing experience and/or axes to grind against the "privileged elite", then the off-field wranglings will only continue.
CricInfo - Timely success just a re-building block for now
Comments
Hallo, I've realised that you seem to have a VERY BIG PROBLEM with returning of the 'rebels'!
Andy Flower is making 100's in nearly every other match he plays,& so is his brother(half tons). Ray Price & Streak are also doing well.Did you get to see the praises Ervine received last season for helping his county progress to the next division? Surely, can Zim do without these guys' contribution?
I find your article on 'Comparing & contrasting' definately in bad taste.
Zim used to go in for series with any team except Australia with a 50-50 chance which isn't the case now, thats why TV companies are shanning their engagements.
Would I like to see the rebels return? Yes. Is it likely to happen? Undoubtedly no. Expending the effort in a vain attempt to make it happen (ZC are not about to grant the oft-expressed demand for the removal of Chingoka and Bvute, among other things) only takes the focus away from developing the players they are left with, and personally, I would rather look to the future - which is looking considerably brighter now than it did a year ago - than to continually hark to the past. As I said, we have to work with what we have.
At one stage, yes, certainly true - particularly when Andy Flower was still playing. But those days had already gone before the player disputes - it has been pointed out elsewhere many times that under Phil Simmons there seemed to be a decided lack of discipline in the Zim team which affected their results, and that was visible in the 2004 series (and came to a head during the 2005 tour to Bangladesh).
How so? The current team did well against Bangladesh, and the statistics of several players were visibly better than their 2004 counterparts. The article was intended to highlight that - the players deserve due praise for that, and to constantly compare them in a bad light to the 2004 team when they are demonstrably at least as good as them (in this one series - not over their entire playing histories!) does Utseya, Taylor et al a disservice. Credit where credit is due.
Heath Streak left the window open for a return to ZC by choosing to be an overseas player for his county, this shouldn't be taken lightly!
A.Blignaut was cheated of his dues by ZC & thats why he isnt playing.
Remember R.Price's last interview, he too badly wanted to return to playing test cricket.
All in all, stomaching the hyenas in ZC wont deliver the so called 'bright' future, as these young players will eventully realise that they are just being used as pons in someone else's selfish game & that their pay is a mere joke when compared internationally. Henry Olonga said something along these lines.
For as long as he's captain of Warwickshire, he's unlikely to be playing for Zim. Traditionally, counties choose captains who won't miss most of their matches through national team committments. I believe his contract with Warwickshire has another season to run - I'd be very surprised to see him make an international appearance before then. After that, it's possible.
Granted.
He's also on record as saying he won't play for Zimbabwe again, and has set his mind to qualifying for the England team - so he's essentially a lost cause as far as Zim are concerned.
Most of the other Zim players who are playing county cricket are on Kolpak contracts, and can't play international cricket until they're released from those contracts.