Best "LOST" Zimbabwean Player

[Chubb]

We picked 7 of the same for our 1st XI and the other 4 you included are in my 2nd XI. So we have a pretty similar idea.

If Friend has declined, as reported in this thread, then Ill willingly take him out. However, why no Streak or Blignaut selection in your XI?

The XI you chose is really weak in quicks (as is Zim cricket). However, I included Mupariwa as a backup. I dont know much about him apart form an ok record and good energy. What have you seen?

Also, do Marillier and Ferreira play any more? If they do how does Sibanda get included above them?

Problem with Streak is that he went ICL so there would be that can of worms. Also, I think his performances for Warwickshire last year show a definate decline- and 34 is a bit too old to recover yourself. I did not select Blignaut for the simple reason that I think Elton Chigumbura is better than him with both bat and ball.

I have to confess to forgetting Mupariwa. However, I still would not have him in the test XI, at least initially, as I feel Chiggers and Rainsy are better. Of course he would get a chance alongside the other quicks I selected if things didn't work out.

I think that Vusi is a better bet than both Ferreira and Marillier. He certainly has more talent and his improvement has been tremendous. He deserves a chance before either of them. Remember Neil Ferreira had been around for a long time when Zimbabwe had a decent side and never got a look-in- there is a reason for that. He is gritty and tries hard, but I can't see him ever hacking it. Vusi has proved on occassion that he can. Marillier, were he to make himself available, might get a chance to impress, but he would just be another off-spinning allrounder. For that reason, I would go with Vusi again.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Andy Flower, as he is the best player of spin I have ever seen.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I'm so far the only one not to vote for either - for the reason that I believe both of them would be gone now anyway, so weren't really "lost" at all.

Sean Ervine, however, was for mine.

I read it the same way as you do Richard. However, I'd vote for Johnson over Ervine as I simply think that Johnson was a better cricketer, and he could have played for at least another five years.

 

[fredfertang]

I have often wondered how different the history of Zimbabwe cricket and of Graeme Hick might have been if Graeme Hick had never thrown in his lot with England

 

[brockley]

Wouldn't be surprised if ray price joins ICL was looking at it last year,seems very little future in zimbabwean cricket at the moment.

 

[Goughy]

I have often wondered how different the history of Zimbabwe cricket and of Graeme Hick might have been if Graeme Hick had never thrown in his lot with England

They would have been better at a time they were pretty decent anyway. However, having Bradman and Botham couldnt change the current mess thats been brought about from non-cricketing sources.

It wouldnt be that much different.

 

[neville cardus]

Yes - I just looked him up and noticed that. Last I heard, he was going to qualify for South Africa - shows how much I care about Zimbabwe's results these days!

A while before that, he was eyeing out his options in Bangladesh.

 

[brockley]

Admit it who voted for sean ervine

 

[tooextracool]

As has already been said, I cant see Andy Flower making too much of a difference given that he played during his prime years for Zimbabwe and already offered as much as he could to keep them afloat as a test class country until 2001-02.

For mine, Murray Goodwin (who for whatever reason is not on the poll) is the one who could have made the biggest difference had he played more than 10 tests. We know how impressive his FC record has been for both Western Australia and for Sussex and one can only imagine what he could have done had his career not been cut short during his prime. I can still remember the way he took England apart in his final test match of his career at TB and set Zimbabwe up for what should have been a deserved victory. Even in 19 tests he probably did enough to stake his claim as the 2nd best test batsman Zimbabwe ever produced.

 

[tooextracool]

Admit who voted for sean ervine

Richard apparently. Sean Ervine had plenty of potential with the bat but his record in Australia and English domestic cricket thus far suggests that he has yet amounted to almost nothing. Then again he is still only 25.

 

[tooextracool]

Neil Johnson last played for Zimbabwe in 2000 as I recall. I may even have been at his last ever test match. Hence, he should be in the poll. His loss to Zimbabwe was more significant than either of the Flowers or Streak given their careers were nearly over.

Players like Ervine, Friend, Price, Carlisle whilst losses, bear no comparison to Johnson in my opinion.

IMO Johnson along with the rest of that bunch (with the exception of Price) were all a bunch of subpar test players who would not get much of a look in for any other side. He looked woefully substandard with the bat in both England and the WI and whilst he might have gone on to become a successful ODI player, at 30 I wouldnt argue with anyone who suggested that a successful test career was well beyond him.
Sean Ervine as I have said had plenty of potential but his FC record has been extremely ordinary.
Friend offered very little to the side other than pace, much the same as Olonga and neither were likely to develop into test quality bowlers and their records exemplify that.
Price was and still is as good a left arm spin bowler as there is in test match cricket after Vettori (who IMO is in a different class to almost everyone else)
Carlisle was a decent player but thats just it. And that is exactly the point about the Zimbabwe side from the 90s. Campbell, Carlisle et al were all ordinary players who on their days could score runs against anyone in the world (especially in ODI cricket) but none of them were able to do it with any sort of consistency. Since 1992, I would venture to suggest that only Andy Flower, Dave Houghton, Murray Goodwin, Ray Price and Heath Streak were test class while the rest were acceptable enough to cover the cracks in the side and make them somewhat competitive.

 

[tooextracool]

1.Neil Johnson
2.Stuart Carlisle
3.Murray Goodwin
4.Andy Flower
5.Brendan Taylor
6.Tatenda Taibu (wk)
7.Sean Ervine
8.Heath Streak (c)
9.Andy Blignaut
10.Ray Price
11.Henry Olonga

I would expect Rainsford to make that side at the moment tbh. Definetly over Olonga

 

[tooextracool]

Andy Flower, as he is the best player of spin I have ever seen.

I would have to venture to suggest that he is the best player of the sweep and reverse sweep that I have ever seen. The best player of spin however would have to go to one Brian Charles Lara.

 

[brockley]

Rainsford can't even make the first team

 

[Julian87]

If none of them mentioned had retired:

Stuart Carlisle
Grant Flower
Murray Goodwin
Andy Flower
Neill Johnson
Brendan Taylor
Sean Ervine
Andy Blignaut
Heath Streak
Ray Price
Scott Brant

 

[Prince EWS]

Rainsford can't even make the first team

He plays a fair bit of overseas club cricket. They still pick players who do this if they absolutely can't leave them out but avoid it as the players have been banned from doing such.

 

[morgieb]

If none of them mentioned had retired:

Stuart Carlisle
Grant Flower
Murray Goodwin
Andy Flower
Neill Johnson
Brendan Taylor
Sean Ervine
Andy Blignaut
Heath Streak
Ray Price
Scott Brant

Andy Flower & Neil Johnson have retired, and both are rather old anyway. Streak got released from Warwickshire from memory, but what happened to him I don't know. Carlisle has disappeared, and so has Taylor & Blignaut (although he played South African domestic cricket a while back). Price I thought returned, and the others are playing County Cricket, expect for Brant, who is in Australia I think.

 

[morgieb]

If none of them mentioned had retired:

Stuart Carlisle
Grant Flower
Murray Goodwin
Andy Flower
Neill Johnson
Brendan Taylor
Sean Ervine
Andy Blignaut
Heath Streak
Ray Price
Scott Brant

Andy Flower & Neil Johnson have retired, and both are rather old anyway. Streak got released from Warwickshire from memory, but what happened to him I don't know. Carlisle has disappeared, and so has Taylor & Blignaut (although he played South African domestic cricket a while back). Price I thought returned, and the others are playing County Cricket, expect for Brant, who is in Australia I think.

 

[Jonty Lathwal]

wow, this took a lot of effort. More players to analyse than I thought. Zim players basically break down into 4 categories.
1) Good (few)
2) Average at 2 disciplines
3) Average at 1 discipline
4) Marginally less poor at one discipline than another

This is the how I view the potential 1st and 2nds XIs available. I may have missed someone obvious and there is depth in batting in the 1sts to cover the lack of quality with allrounders covering the secondary bowling spots.

1st XI
1. Goodwin
2. Taylor
3. Williams
4. Lamb
5. Blignaut
6. Taibu (wkt)
7. Ervine
8. Friend
9. Streak
10. Price
11. Rainsford

2nd XI (Reserves)
1. Masakadza
2. Gripper
3. Rogers
4. Ferreira (wkt)
5. Chigumbura
6. Duffin
7. Marillier
8. Rinke
9. Utseya
10. Mupariwa
11. Ireland

Lots of ODI players couldnt find a place in either team but also experienced guys like Cremer, Matsikenyeri, Ewing, Coventry, Panyangara, Brent, Sibanda, Ebrahim didnt make it. Guys like Hondo (injuries) and Mark Vermeulen (mental illness) are excluded for other reasons.

Mupariwa and Ireland are better bowlers than Rainsford......

 

[Jonty Lathwal]

Barney Rogers was a very very talented player........

I don't where he is now.....