How good could Zimbabwe be…

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

…if all their eligible players decided to play for them? Even if we limit them to players born and/or raised in the country (I’m sure we could find plenty of players with a Zimbabwean grandparent!), they could have the Currans, county stalwart Ryan Higgins and young gun Tawanda Muyeye (albeit he doesn’t want to play for Zimbabwe for non-cricketing reasons), who else am I missing? Is Colin de Grandhomme still knocking around?

 

[Chubb]

IMHO they would not suddenly become a top 8 side.

They would be better than Bangladesh and Windies but struggle against everyone above them, with the odd win. Basically back to the level they were in 1999/2000.

It is also a mistake to glorify the 1999/2000 Zim compared to the current side: I loved that team but they were never that good compared to the other full members. They had to face the top sides more often than the current guys but Bennett, Williams, Raza, Ervine, Muzarabani would walk into the 1999 team. Madhevere could as well.

 

[Prince EWS]

IMHO they would not suddenly become a top 8 side.

They would be better than Bangladesh and Windies

Well West Indies are currently a top eight side, so if so then it would make them that.

I think they'd fancy their chances against Pakistan at home at the moment as well but yeah they'd be a similar standard to those three teams who are currently in the 7-9 bracket. They'd struggle against the teams above that.

 

[Prince EWS]

…if all their eligible players decided to play for them? Even if we limit them to players born and/or raised in the country (I’m sure we could find plenty of players with a Zimbabwean grandparent!), they could have the Currans, county stalwart Ryan Higgins and young gun Tawanda Muyeye (albeit he doesn’t want to play for Zimbabwe for non-cricketing reasons), who else am I missing? Is Colin de Grandhomme still knocking around?

Peter Moor and Hilton Cartwright would both at least add some depth to a squad as well.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Peter Moor and Hilton Cartwright would both at least add some depth to a squad as well.

Moor hasn’t done much since leaving Zimbabwe has he? Their batting looked decent (albeit 3 of them are pushing 40!) and Muzarabani is good (had a bad day on Day 1 but did well on Day 2), but they could definitely do with a seamer to back him up, even better if they can offer the batting that Ben’s brothers can

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Antum Naqvi will probably be a Raza replacement for Zim , got an amazing FC record

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Antum Naqvi will probably be a Raza replacement for Zim , got an amazing FC record

Big old Zimbabwe poaching players from little old Belgium, you hate to see it!

 

[BoyBrumby]

Carse is qualified; his old man was born in Harare.

Dale Benkenstein's lad has played for Essex a few times too, although, like Carse, he's RSA-born.

Shane Snater is a Zimba by birth and, IIRC, he's the first cousin of Jason Roy, so presumably JR has some manner of connection too.

There's Eddie Byrom over in Glamorgan; reckon he might've had a go by now (for Ireland if not Zim; he's got an Irish passport or so cricinfo reckons) if it didn't mean giving up his UK domestic status & Nathan Gilchrist (no relation) down in Kent.

 

[Ali TT]

None of these guys are making Zimbabwe anything other than a few runs better than what they are now. Presumably if they were playing for Zimbabwe they'd also be forced into only playing first class cricket in Zimbabwe, which means they'd be less good versions of themselves, or fully committed to the T20 circuit (which is practically what the other two Currans are anyway).

 

[SeamUp]

I think the biggest thing Zim will learn this year, is it's nice to be back at the top table but to compete and grow they going to have think outside the box.

They cant be having the 8-11 they had in this test match so even without those outside of Zimbabwe surely Brad Evans with his experience in England had to be there.


Michael Booth at Warwickshire as well. Just missing 2 from a full XI

1. PJ Moor (Ireland)
2. Eddie Byrom (Glamorgan)
3. Tawanda Muyeye (Kent)
4. Hilton Cartwright (Western Australia)
5.
6. Ryan Higgins (Middlesex)
7.
8. Tom Curran (Surrey)
9. Shane Snater (Essex)
10. Michael Booth (Warwickshire)
11. Nathan Gilchrist (Kent)


Saying that; Curran, Bennett, Welch, Madhevere, Ngarava, Muzarabani is a good group around the Big 3.

Brendan Taylor for the come back?

If Zimbabwe come top 8 in a WC they are hosting they qualify for the next one. Financial incentives are massive to keep growing.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

None of these guys are making Zimbabwe anything other than a few runs better than what they are now. Presumably if they were playing for Zimbabwe they'd also be forced into only playing first class cricket in Zimbabwe, which means they'd be less good versions of themselves, or fully committed to the T20 circuit (which is practically what the other two Currans are anyway).

The batting wasn’t really the problem for Zimbabwe, it was the bowling, surely the Currans or Higgins would look more threatening than Zimbabwe did on Thursday. Would be monumentally stupid to force those players to only play FC in Zimbabwe if they declared for the country, it’s difficult enough to persuade them to do that in the first place without putting up that arbitrary barrier

 

[SeamUp]

IMHO they would not suddenly become a top 8 side.

They would be better than Bangladesh and Windies but struggle against everyone above them, with the odd win. Basically back to the level they were in 1999/2000.

It is also a mistake to glorify the 1999/2000 Zim compared to the current side: I loved that team but they were never that good compared to the other full members. They had to face the top sides more often than the current guys but Bennett, Williams, Raza, Ervine, Muzarabani would walk into the 1999 team. Madhevere could as well.

They were under-dogs in a very competitive era. What struck me watching the Sky insert of that Bulawayo test match in 96 was the respect of the batting qualities and street smarts Nasser Hussain had for the Zim team and I think you could say the other nations would say the same about that Zim team.

 

[Ali TT]

The batting wasn’t really the problem for Zimbabwe, it was the bowling, surely the Currans or Higgins would look more threatening than Zimbabwe did on Thursday. Would be monumentally stupid to force those players to only play FC in Zimbabwe if they declared for the country, it’s difficult enough to persuade them to do that in the first place without putting up that arbitrary barrier

No but they'd presumably become international players so less likely to be given county contracts.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

No but they'd presumably become international players so less likely to be given county contracts.

Of course, silly me! A problem they share with Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, and while, say, Bangladesh could perhaps do with players getting experience in a higher standard of domestic FC competition, they won’t lose any players for that reason

 

[SeamUp]

Would counties really not allow the players to leave on the odd occasion they play international matches in the English summer? I think the modern world is becoming more accepting for allowing players flexibility and giving others opportunity because of it. An example was David Bedingham between Durham and SA even if slightly different. In the past, Durham may have been miffed.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Would counties really not allow the players to leave on the odd occasion they play international matches in the English summer? I think the modern world is becoming more accepting for allowing players flexibility and giving others opportunity because of it. An example was David Bedingham between Durham and S even if slightly different. In the past, Durham may have been miffed.

It’s not even necessarily the counties in these cases that are playing hardball, the players know that their county is their bread and butter, and if another player comes in and takes their place, their contract is all of a sudden in danger (a problem amplified for the Dutch for whom their settled status would be in danger, at least many of the Saffers and Zimbos can play in England as local players)

 

[SeamUp]

It’s not even necessarily the counties in these cases that are playing hardball, the players know that their county is their bread and butter, and if another player comes in and takes their place, their contract is all of a sudden in danger (a problem amplified for the Dutch for whom their settled status would be in danger, at least many of the Saffers and Zimbos can play in England as local players)

Yeah agree. I guess there may be more chance of those with a bit in their bank account already (T Curran) or someone coming to the end of their career (Cartwright) as you giving them the chance to compete at the highest level (get paid for it) & still contribute for your county. Playing in the World Cup must be a box to tick for some of these guys.

 

[Ali TT]

I was thinking more of the limits on international players. Some of these guys in county cricket wouldn't have got a county gig at the outset of their careers if they were not English qualified, or at risk of becoming so quite early into their careers.