Zimbabwe team to Bangladesh (8 March 1999)

8 March 1999

Zimbabwe team to Bangladesh

John Ward

The Zimbabwe tour party of 15 to visit Bangladesh to play in the triangular series also including Kenya later this month has been announced. It is as follows:

Manager: 'Babu' Meman Coach: Dave Houghton Physiotherapist: Amato Machikicho

This team has been chosen from the squad of 19 named for the World Cup, and it is a tribute to the increasing depth of Zimbabwean cricket to look at the four players omitted: Craig Wishart, Gavin Rennie, Everton Matambanadzo and Gary Brent. Brent is a steadily developing younger player, while the others have all enjoyed considerable success in international cricket.

Gavin Rennie, a solid but not stodgy opening batsman in test cricket, has generally batted down the order in one-day internationals while the likes of Campbell, Johnson and others have opened with Grant Flower. He has turned in reasonable results, but it is presumably felt that there are better one-day players for the middle order.

Craig Wishart in particular is unlucky to lose his place after his fine performances against the Indian tourists at the start of the season, which included a one-day century in Harare. He has suffered a number of unfortunate, even freakish, dismissals recently but is still a fine player; however the greatly improved form of Stuart Carlisle and Dirk Viljoen has cost him his place.

Carlisle is playing his first full season since finishing his tertiary education in Natal, and he has greatly impressed Dave Houghton, among others, by his fighting qualities, tenacity and hunger for big scores. He feels he has now overcome the back-foot weakness that was mercilessly exploited by the England team two years ago, and he now expects to bat in the middle order rather than open. Viljoen is finally learning how to compile the big scores which are more in keeping with his ability, his most recent success being a fine century in a tight situation during the crucial UCBSA Bowl match against Border B in East London. (The Zimbabwe Board XI won the match and with it Division 2 of the competition; they will be promoted to Division 1 next season.)

Everton Matambanadzo has not had a very easy season. He began with a shoulder injury that hampered his throwing rather than his bowling, but then lost his rhythm for a while. In recent weeks he has been virtually starved of cricket as his club Universals had five of their seven first-league matches abandoned. Gary Brent has bowled some fine spells this season at an accurate and attacking pace just above medium, but there can be no quarrel with the pace bowlers chosen ahead of them.

There are six front-line pace bowlers, including the all-rounders, in the team, which should be ample for Asia, even allowing for injuries. Eddo Brandes is now virtually fully fit and the likelihood is that he will become the first Zimbabwean to play in four World Cups should he stay that way. Heath Streak requires no explanation at all.

Henry Olonga and 'Pommy' Mbangwa are both Test rather than one-day bowlers, but can still play a part given the right conditions. Olonga is now genuinely fast by international standards, but still inclined to be a little erratic, though he has tightened up considerably this season. Even when he bowls particularly well, snicked fours can easily ruin his one-day analysis. Mbangwa, whose line and length are superb, is perhaps a little too consistent for one-day cricket and can be hit off a length. On helpful pitches, though, both may be included.

Neil Johnson and Guy Whittall, the latter almost fully fit after a long-standing knee injury, are certainties for any team in normal circumstances as all-rounders. They are ideal one-day players who can turn a match with both bat and ball, and they will be expected to back up Brandes and Streak in the pace department.

Three spinners have been included for Bangladesh: leg-spinners Paul Strang and Adam Huckle, and off-spinner Andrew Whittall. Grant Flower also frequently bowls his left-arm spin in one-day matches, while Dirk Viljoen may also do the same. So probably Huckle will be the one to go for the World Cup. It will be interesting to see whether the selectors decide to go for a seventh pace bowler in Matambanadzo or Brent, or an extra batsman in Wishart or Rennie (who can both also bowl a bit, although not up to regular international standard).

The batting line-up is strong. The two Flowers, Campbell, Goodwin and Johnson have all scored centuries in official one-day internationals, and all except Campbell (highest 99) in Tests as well. Carlisle and Viljoen have to try to break into that line-up, although one may well play as an extra batsman as the team is so strong in all-rounders.

A possible one-day team might be: G Flower, Johnson, Goodwin, A Flower, Campbell, Carlisle, G Whittall, Streak, Strang, Brandes and A Whittall. This team bats down to number 11, with the first nine all being batsmen of genuine quality. Brandes and Streak will open the bowling, backed by Johnson and Guy Whittall. Strang, Andrew Whittall and Grant Flower will all supply the spin. If any extra bowlers are needed, Goodwin at medium-pace and Campbell with off-spin are not to be under-estimated. Carlisle has also been developing his 'little seamers' in club cricket - and even Andy Flower has taken his pads off and taken some good wickets in first-class cricket with slow-medium pace or off-spin! With a bit of luck and continued confidence, this team should not be written off for the World Cup itself! Ian Botham for one has said so - and four years ago nobody thought Sri Lanka had a chance.

It is not a team of genius, but of efficiency, hard work and determination. In Bangladesh they are expected to win, but there is always the danger of complacency against weaker opposition. But Zimbabwe has never yet relaxed against such opposition and it would be a major surprise were they to do so again. They cleaned up Bangladesh and Kenya in the triangular series in Kenya eighteen months ago, and they have learned a great deal and won much more frequently since then. Upsets are always possible, but very unlikely with a steadily improving, highly confident and very determined Zimbabwean team. They expect this to be their year.

Source :: John Ward