Zim Batting Lineup in ODIs

[Prince EWS]

It has been disussed a bit lately and I think its time to have its own thread. I think it should be something like:

Vermeulen
Flower
Ebrahim
Carlisle
Friend
Sibanda (Wishart when fit)
Streak
Ervine
Taibu
Bliganut
Price

Hondo isnt perfroming at all, and with the addition of Friend, he isnt really needed. He is only useful with teh new ball (and only for four overs anyway), and Im sure Friend can manage to bowl four overs somewhere, espeically with 5 other bowlers in teh lineup. I think Sibanda could be usleful in the middle order, and Vermueln needs to be told to play his natural game, although he probably wont play for a while... Carlisle and Flower should never be in together, so if that happens teh order msut be changed. If the run rate is badly suffering, then one of the big hitters from the tail can be promoted.

 

[Eclipse]

Ervine
Vermeulen
Carlisle
Wishart
Flower
Friend
Streak
Taibu
Bliganut
Price
Hondo

I think Ervine should get a chance up the order he is souch a clean striker of the ball and his techneque is quite good. Plus Zimbabwe really need somone who can take the bowlers on in the first 15 and they still have Streak, Blignanut and Friend who can hit in the low order.

 

[Prince EWS]

I say dont change a winning formular with Ervine. Leave him down the order, or he will get Kluseneritous. He shoudl eb brought in with around 15 overs remaining in the innings, or if they get down to number 8 before that happens..:rolleyes:

 

[iamdavid]

Ervine IMO is potentially much better than a handy hitter.
He is technically solid in both attack & defence & has every shot in the book , a wonderful timer of the ball.
Lets face it he's got the runs on the board in this series while others havent.
An extended chance to prove himself at number 5 is due IMO , Ervine is the man who is gonna carry this Zimbabwean team forward & hopefully back to some sort of competitiveness.

His batting has lots of potentially , he is great in the feild , his bowling will not pose a great threat at test level , but his control & changes of pace make him a very affective ODI bowler.
Really other than Streak he's the best seamer they've got.

Good head on his shoulders , dosent seem bothered by playing against the two best ODI sides on earth , best of all , he's only 21.

Hondo should be persevered with IMO , when his rythym is right he can be a handful , the alternative is Mahwire , which says it all.

I still rate Friend highly but saddly he aint the bowler he was before his back injury , he's gone from guenuinely quick to a mere medium pacer , he can fill in overs but he lacks the accuracy to be a major threat , hopefully he can regain the venom that was evident before the injuries hit.
However I still think he has a role to play , his feilding is brilliant & his batting can be handy....but nothing more methinks.

Streak has to bite the bullet & push himself up the order , its a move he's been delaying for a couple of years now , the team needs some one to fill the responsible , senior man role that Andy Flower filled so well , to support Grant Flower & the inexperienced top order , Streaks the man.

For me -
1.Carlise
2.Vermuelen (hope he gets better soon )
3.Flower
4.Streak (thats right , he is the 3rd best bat in the side , they need him)
5.Ervine
6.Wishart/Ebrahim
7.Taibu
8.Friend
9.Blignaut
10.Price
11.Hondo

 

[Neil Pickup]

Minor point... I think there need to 3 black players due to the ZCU/ZANU-PF rules.

 

[Langeveldt]

Minor point... I think there need to 3 black players due to the ZCU/ZANU-PF rules.

So why did only two play today?

 

[Tim]

There was Taibu, Hondo & I believe the 3rd was Dion Ebrahim.

 

[Langeveldt]

Mine

1. SV Carlisle
2. M Vermeulen
3. GW Flower
4. C Wishart
5. H Streak
6. T Taibu
7. S Ervine
8. T Friend
9. A Blignaut
10. R Price
11. D Hondo

 

[Neil Pickup]

Dion Ebrahim

The specialist batsman batting at 9...

 

[Prince EWS]

I wouldnt say Enrahim was black...

And what about the test series. Only Taibu (and Ebrahim if you count him).

I definately found it odd that out of 14 players on tour, all three that were left out of the game were black. SO maybe you have to have a certain number touring, not necessarily playing.

When i said to drop Hondo, I actually put a batsman in his place, not another bowler (Mahwire was mentioned). He is just not a hadful often enough, and is only ever useful for 5 or 5 overs in the innings.

 

[Langeveldt]

There was Taibu, Hondo & I believe the 3rd was Dion Ebrahim.

Dion Ebrahim is of asian descent.. Asians arent exactly looked on very well in Mad Bobs fiefdom, so he cant be classed as a quota guy...

 

[Neil Pickup]

I can't see any other way he's in the team.

 

[Prince EWS]

The only reason he is in the team is becuase they have no-one better. The only candiateds might be Craig Evans and Barney Rogers, but they have failed miserably as well. I have never rated Ebrahim, even as a Zimababwe players, but he did bat well at 9. I think he is slowly improving. But in saying all this, I never want to see him play a test match again.

 

[Tim]

Whatever his ethnic origin, I think you'll find that they still class Ebrahim as a coloured player.

 

[Langeveldt]

Whatever his ethnic origin, I think you'll find that they still class Ebrahim as a coloured player.

Coloured and Black can mean entirely different things in that part of the world.. anyway with all the politics, Zim have played a very good game of cricket..

 

[Neil Pickup]

Where's Travis Friend gone?

 

[Langeveldt]

Where's Travis Friend gone?

A talented all rounder, and very quick bowler.. He has sort of been dogged by injuries and is now more a bits and pieces player who bowls medium pace.. A pity, but at least he is fit enough to play international cricket...

 

[Mingster]

Friend looked gone until he got run out by Ganguly. :O

I agree, Sean Ervine needs to be at 3, and his bowling is extremely useful with his changeups.

 

[Richard]

One thing that has really strained the bounds of logic is that, with 4 openers at least in the party (albeit two are only their because of their skin-colour) they opt ... yes, you guessed it - to play a competant middle-order player, one of their few, as an opener.
Fortunately that insanity was rectified against India, with the all-his-life opener put back where he belongs and Carlisle in the middle.
Be great the see sanity prevail for more than 3 or 4 games.
Grant Flower at four or below is a complete waste of time. He is their one international class batsman. Carlisle and Wishart have always had potential but they've played for too long for an improvement to be that likely now.
Ervine is a useful hitter but IMO better at three than opening. Neil Johnson will never be replaced but I reckon Blignaut is a better bet.
Sibanda and Ebrahim will hopefully only be embarrased for a short time (poor old Ebrahim's already had five times his share). Taibu will clearly be there to stay, Hondo is rubbish, and so are most of the other white batsmen. Sadly, poor Vermuelen has suffered a second fractured skull in a year.
I'd pick Flower and Blignaut to open, Wishart at three, Carlisle at four and the supposed-all-rounders all in their rabble next.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

With all fit...

Carlisle/Vermeulen
Blignaut
Wishart
G. Flower
Streak *
Taibu +
Ervine
Ebrahim/Matsikenyeri/any other batsman
Friend/Viljeon
Price
Hondo

IMO Viljeon is a good ODI player, if he hasn't yet retired.

If Vermeulen plays he'll bat at 3 with Wishart opening.