**Official** Zimbabwe in the West Indies

[honestbharani]

Windies supporters should be scared though. They couldn't really bowl out Zim on that track and needed Lara's class to win this game, even though he pushed others ahead of him. And Windies had the better of the conditions as well.

 

[Craig]

The pitch isn't one that even Australia would win this match in 20 overs. It's slow and difficult to score on - not the typical Antigua pitch. Morton's shot was very loose though. No movement of the feet.

What's going on there? Change of groundstaff? Poor weather? Because had Zimbabwe been able to find another 50-100 runs things might have been dodgy for your team.

 

[Craig]

Windies supporters should be scared though. They couldn't really bowl out Zim on that track and needed Lara's class to win this game, even though he pushed others ahead of him. And Windies had the better of the conditions as well.

So from what I have read somebody like Kumble or Harbhajan would have enjoyed this pitch if it is slow and difficult to score off?

 

[honestbharani]

So from what I have read somebody like Kumble or Harbhajan would have enjoyed this pitch if it is slow and difficult to score off?

Stroke making was difficult. So yeah, to that extent, the spinners would have enjoyed it a bit more, but I think even the seamers would have liked this pitch. Ball stopping on batsmen going for the drive and stuff = potential wickets.

 

[Craig]

A wicket tailor made for the likes of Harmison, Pollock, McGrath, Ntini (when on song he would be a nightmare to face), Flintoff, and Bond perhaps?

 

[Prince EWS]

Mupariwa in for Higgins. Not a bad bowling attack considering the circumstances really. We've played with worse ones in recent times. I rate Rainsford and Mahwire as potentially international class (obviously not yet, but in time - espeically Rainsford) while Mupariwa is a decentish first change bowler - he's an Ian Harvey style player with worse bowling and none of the batting. Utseya is developing into a quality ODI bowler. Lots of options to fill in the fifth bowler as well.

The batting is still a grave concern though.

 

[Prince EWS]

Costly drop by Taylor there.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

The batting is still a grave concern though.

Chibhabha's batting well, by the sounds of things. Gotta wonder why Duffin captains the ODI side, tho...

 

[Prince EWS]

Looks like I was pretty spot on with all of that.

Coventry needs to bat up the order a bit IMO. He's wasted as number seven. I'd bat him at five. Strydom batting ahead of him is just plain silly. As is Chibhabha bowling instead of Chigumbura, really.

 

[Prince EWS]

Chibhabha's batting well, by the sounds of things. Gotta wonder why Duffin captains the ODI side, tho...

Duffin has experience at first class level and really, there aren't many options. He holds his place in ODI side as a batsman alone based on the fact that he can around... he may not score very quickly but it's not like they'll bat out our fifty overs very often anyway.

Rinke and Brendon Taylor have disspointed me in this series so far. I expected them to score some runs.

 

[Nate]

Well bowled to the 'Windian' Taylor. Four wickets is a good show. Very promising young paceman.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Rinke and Brendon Taylor have disspointed me in this series so far. I expected them to score some runs.

From what I've seen of Rinke so far (he hasn't hung around long enough for me to see much) he looks a poor player. His technique looks very shabby. He scored a good hundred in a warmup match though, so I suppose he has something about him.

 

[Prince EWS]

From what I've seen of Rinke so far (he hasn't hung around long enough for me to see much) he looks a poor player. His technique looks very shabby. He scored a good hundred in a warmup match though, so I suppose he has something about him.

Rinke isnt up to international standard by any stetch of the imagination, but he actually has a decent domestic record in a career which started in 2001 (meaning of course the standard was much higher than it is now).

He was Zimbabwe's best batsman against Kenya and also scored a hundred in the warmup, as you said.

I expected a few more runs that what he has produced... he's not brilliant but he's better than what he's shown in this series.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Rinke isnt up to international standard by any stetch of the imagination, but he actually has a decent domestic record in a career which started in 2001 (meaning of course the standard was much higher than it is now).

He was Zimbabwe's best batsman against Kenya and also scored a hundred in the warmup, as you said.

I expected a few more runs that what he has produced... he's not brilliant but he's better than what he's shown in this series.

I'm just going on how he looks technically. I mean, I've seen unorthodox techniques that have worked - Chanderpaul, Lara - but his technique just looks... bad. It was disappointing too to see him dismissed in such a similar fashion in both ODIs over the weekend. Hopefully he'll find some runs soon. Not too many, mind.

 

[oz_fan]

Dave Mohammed added to WI squad

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm just going on how he looks technically. I mean, I've seen unorthodox techniques that have worked - Chanderpaul, Lara - but his technique just looks... bad. It was disappointing too to see him dismissed in such a similar fashion in both ODIs over the weekend. Hopefully he'll find some runs soon. Not too many, mind.

Well, I've never actually seen him bat so I can't really comment on him technically. I've read a few things about him though and the selectors have high hopes... his main problem (apart from his technique judging from your observations) is his slog or block mindset.

He's a useful medium pacer as well, although virtually everyone in the side is except the wicket keeper and the specialist spinner...

 

[Nate]

Here`s hoping Davo gets a game.

 

[roseboy64]

Dave Mohammed added to WI squad

Don't know why Tino Best is in there honestly. There are surely other players who could have been selected.

 

[Jono]

But he's the best.

 

[roseboy64]

Tino Best? Surely you jest!