*Official* Zimbabwe Tri-Series (Zimbabwe, India, Sri Lanka)

[James]

Fri May 28
1st Match - Zimbabwe v India
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

Sun May 30
2nd Match - India v Sri Lanka
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

Tue Jun 1
3rd Match - Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka
Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo

Thu Jun 3
4th Match - Zimbabwe v India
Harare Sports Club

Sat Jun 5
5th Match - India v Sri Lanka
Harare Sports Club

Mon Jun 7
6th Match - Zimbabwe v Sri Lanka
Harare Sports Club

Wed Jun 9
Final - TBC v TBC
Harare Sports Club

[Migara]

Please, Please, Please, drop Jayasuriya, and fire the idiot De Mel. They have been atrocious in last 18 months time.

Jayawardane and Sangakkara could take a rest and let youngsters to take charge. Playing 11 in bold
My Squad:

Thilan Samaraweera (c, RH, OB)
TM Dilshan (vc, RH, OB, rwk)
Jeewantha Kulatunga (RH, RM)
Dinesh Chandimal (RH, rwk)
Angelo Mathews (RH, RFM)
Chamara Kapugedara (RH, RM)
Kaushal SIlva (RH, wk)
Thisara Perera (LH, RFM)
Thilina Kandamby (LH, LBG)
Suraj Randiv (RH, OB)
Sachithra Senanayake (RH, OB)
Thilan Thushara (LH, LFM)
Dilhara Fernando (RH, RFM)
Chanaka Welagedara (RH, LFM)

[Marcuss]

Where's Kulasekara?

[Himannv]

Ugh, do we have to play India yet again. Surely there are other teams in the world.

[Migara]

Originally Posted by Marcuss

Where's Kulasekara?

Not good enough IMO. Had a purple patch a while back, but you need bowlers with bit more pace and aggression on slow ZIM pitches.

[vic_orthdox]

You don't pick Malinga either?

[Xuhaib]

hoping to catch bit of Virat Kohli will be a * I reckon and also Yusuf Pathan but that will be just for the lulz.

[Migara]

Originally Posted by vic_orthdox

You don't pick Malinga either?

Kep him for the Asia cup. No need to playi him in yet another series featuring India

[vic_orthdox]

Originally Posted by Migara

Kep him for the Asia cup. No need to playi him in yet another series featuring India

Fair enough, just how you mentioned Jaya and Sanga taking a rest, and didn't include Malinga, made me think otherwise.

[masterblaster]

I'm looking forward to seeing this young Indian squad in action. Hoping Ashwin, Vinay Kumar and Murali Vijay do well.

[Arjun]

Originally Posted by masterblaster

I'm looking forward to seeing this young Indian squad in action. Hoping Ashwin, Vinay Kumar and Murali Vijay do well.

Me too. I was about to say the same, though I'd also like Mishra to have a good series. Ashwin, Mishra and Vinay Kumar, together with Zaheer and Nehra, would make a strong bowling unit.

It's sad, though, when the scrapyard seems more promising than the supply lines.

[Himannv]

Originally Posted by Migara

Please, Please, Please, drop Jayasuriya, and fire the idiot De Mel. They have been atrocious in last 18 months time.

Jayawardane and Sangakkara could take a rest and let youngsters to take charge. Playing 11 in bold
My Squad:

Thilan Samaraweera (c, RH, OB)
TM Dilshan (vc, RH, OB, rwk)
Jeewantha Kulatunga (RH, RM)
Dinesh Chandimal (RH, rwk)
Angelo Mathews (RH, RFM)
Chamara Kapugedara (RH, RM)
Kaushal SIlva (RH, wk)
Thisara Perera (LH, RFM)
Thilina Kandamby (LH, LBG)
Suraj Randiv (RH, OB)
Sachithra Senanayake (RH, OB)
Thilan Thushara (LH, LFM)
Dilhara Fernando (RH, RFM)
Chanaka Welagedara (RH, LFM)

Agree completely that Sanath needs to be dropped.

They'll never give Kulatunga a chance IMO. If they wanted to, they would have at least included him in the 15 for the T20 WC. They had to make it 31 simply due to public pressure to put him in.

Personally disagree with Samaraweera playing this format. He's a test specialist and a rare one at that although he certainly has some good numbers in ODI's so far.

Dont think they will keep out both Mahela and Sanga for this one though. Perhaps one of them may take a breather.

Originally Posted by vic_orthdox

You don't pick Malinga either?

May not make it for political reasons. There's a fair amount of negativity for his inclusion if the rumours are to be believed.

[Arjun]

Vinay Kumar is a very smart selection, going by stats, experience and utility. He's got a strike rate a little over 30, and 70 wickets in 42 matches. Economy, not surprisingly, has taken care of itself. He's decently fast, and also a very good fielder. While he's been unlucky to miss out so many times, his coach once advised him to play as an all-rounder- a replacement for Irfan Pathan. While that's a longshot, he's had 27 innings in the lower order, and is no mug or slowcoach with the bat, although you'd rather have three or more bowlers like him in the team than just him. He deserves to be in the side for a long term, and will help in India picking two proper spinners.

Pankaj Singh, not so much. We know him as a gentle giant medium-pacer, and have written him off often. However, in 37 ODs, he's got 57 wickets, and the strike rate, almost 33, is serious. His economy is a little high, but not alarming, like, Dinda's or Yusuf's. He too is quite useful lower down the order, and though not as much as Irfan or Vinay, it all adds up when they're together. Both should figure in all the matches India get here.

Ravi Ashwin appears to be a Harbhajan-esque bowler. When going good, like in the IPL, he can stifle the batsmen and get a rich haul of wickets. When the batting is on top, or the pitch not helpful, he'll keep bowling flat and firing it in to keep it tight. He's got a good economy (4.09), but for a strike bowler, a strike rate of 42 isn't ideal. His OD batting has improved only lately, though he's a serious contender for the seventh batsman's spot, if FC records and form are to be considered. He's ahead of Yusuf purely because he's a strike bowler, but if Yusuf fixes that economy or takes wickets more often, that can flip.

Among the other bowlers, Mishra has the wickets, experience and utility, so he should be a regular. The last spot may be up for grabs, for a seamer and spinner. Dinda strikes often, but has a high economy. Umesh is young and raw, and has little except pace and fielding- hang on, fielding is often an area of weakness for this team. We'd rather not have the left-arm spinners in this series; they're not worth it, nor is the series that important. The top six should be obvious- Vijay, Ojha, Raina, Sharma, Karthik and Kohli.

[weldone]

Originally Posted by Himannv

Ugh, do we have to play India yet again. Surely there are other teams in the world.

exactly man, we have seen enough of each other in the last few months ...but there are 2 new sides, and a low-key low-TRP low-ticket price low-adrenaline tournament...So, I don't mind...

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by Himannv

Ugh, do we have to play India yet again. Surely there are other teams in the world.

Tiger Woods likes the way you think.