Make Us Proud Boys, Make Us Proud!

Make Us Proud Boys, Make Us Proud!

Perkins-Tino Bare

`Congratulations to all those chosen to represent Zimbabwe at the forthcoming World Cup` read the words by David Coltart and all around the suspense which had killed us all was finally broken but just like that moment the question then became are can we pin our hopes on these guys? `When will they ever learn? was the question by Dean Du Plessis.

Zimbabwe cricket on Wednesday announced their 15 men squad for the upcoming World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand with morale at an all-time low with the sour, shitty taste of the Bangladesh debacle still in the mouths of many.

The team will be hugely depending on the batting of Sikander Raza who looks set to be an opener but with the exclusion of Sibanda the big question is who will partner him and even if he opens who will then become our 3^rd batsmen since Taylor is currently on a bad run of form.

One thing we cannot run away from is that our squad is limited and looking at the possible batting line up we can only pin our hopes on Butt, Chigumbura, Taylor and the unpredictable Williams who could bring us stability in that lacking middle order.

Looking at 28 year old Raza he has an average of 28 in ODI cricket and a strike rate of 73.6 this is a guy who looks well suited for his place in the team but then either Brandon Taylor or Hamilton Masakadza but of these three the coach would then have to pick the guy for that number three spot.

Brandon Taylor hasn`t had been having the best of games yet and though it might seem like he`s already at the twilight of his career he seems as if he is slowly losing out that number three spot for lately when he walks to the crease there is no guarantee whatsoever that he will steady the ship, for, after losing our first wicket, the domino continues. Averaging 33 runs with a strike rate of 72.50 he seems better off right at the top of the pile for he can contain the pressure that comes with opening.

Uncle Hammy seems well suited for that role in the play as he is as calm as rock when he comes to the crease in no rush whatsoever to garner runs but as soon as he`s cranked up then a huge total will be well on the cards.

Though the squad may seem to lack depth there is the unpredictable `boys` in the camp in the likes of Mire and Chibhabha who`s making a meal out of the Canadian Tour (well you eat what`s put in front of you.)  

These guys mostly in Mire, he shows that great potential that we saw in the same kid who was smashing windows at HSC years ago. Solomon Mire showed glimpses of an all-rounder in Bangladesh as even though the team was certainly getting it he was able to stick out and he has a respectable strike rate of 67 ( in consideration of the whole team that is). He is just that kid whose wings need clipping and he just does not stay in the crease but he shows that hunger for runs and he is willing to lift his arms a bit and get some runs on the board.

Before you brush it off, fact is we have huge potential in the team and even in the skipper himself he is that all or nothing guy he`s willing to take those big shots and together with Sean Williams they look set to bring the quality needed for that middle order.

Whichever way we look at it, pick out your best batsmen one thing for sure is that our batsmen are unpredictable and in a bad way that is. On a good day they will either be horrible or have a decent knock regardless of who they are, there is a lack of consistency and we do not have defined guys on whom we can rely on through a series, whatmore through a tourney.

One huge problem with our batsmen is that omnipresent one of failing to come to the party, especially the top order they hardly act so and then when the middle order fails to contain the pressure that would have been thrust on them, before you know it we`re all out it has always been the same old sad story.

Zimbabwe has always boasted of spin attack and under the tutelage of Alan Butcher with his spin openers this time round there seems to be nothing of that sorts as Prosper Utseya is under an ICC ban with his selection being probably the most unfair on the other players as he won`t be able to bowl and as we all know the guy can`t bat so quite frankly he won`t add any value to that team we would have been better off with Waller.

Nonetheless the bowling attack seems blunt and it doesn’t look as if it will have the penetration down under and our fielding is not that great so we can expect huge scores from the likes of India and South Africa.

The bowling attack seems to be a section that the selectors may have overlooked and this then questions the whole game plan of the team going into this tournament for the guys picked do not seem able to trouble the batsmen for they do not seem neither capable to get the wickets nor avoid the huge totals.

The bowlers are like that innocent sweet little girl walking down the dark street while evil is lurking in the backdrop of the horror scene and she cannot neither protect herself from the danger nor attack. We are looking at a squad that has omitted Brian Vitori, Luke Jongwe, Keagan Meth and John Nyumbu who himself was on absolute fire last season and is arguably the future of our spin attack.

The team looks set to bank on the fast bowlers especially the pace and movement of Tendai Chatara who has an economy of 5.02 with career best figures of 3/44 at the age of 23. Another runner who could open up with him could be Panyangara with an economy of 5.67. One thing certain about our bowling attack particularly the pacers is that they will not be troubling the batsmen but again, they are decent and on a good day just like the rest of the guys, they can fool many.