**Official** England in Namibia and Zimbabwe

[Pratters]

It's the way the ICC are running it today.

Every one knows that and its sad. If the ECB had shut up I would understand they are not confirming to the views of the ICC and merely following them as it has no option. However, stating that our trade is cricket and the revenue part of our trade is international cricket shows they are totally supporting that view too.

So ECB is to be blamed for this.

 

[superkingdave]

Nice to see somebody can get away with ironic personal insults (and mentions a thread where I didn't generalise whatsoever, only vague on the definition of mediocre and said exactly who it related to). As for calling someone who has As in Physics and Further Maths and a B in Maths at A-level an idiot, I guess you must be doing some pretty clever rocket science or brain surgery then.

Just because you've got good A level's doesn't mean you can't be an idiot. I've got 3 A's and i'm a complete idiot

 

[Scaly piscine]

Just because you've got good A level's doesn't mean you can't be an idiot. I've got 3 A's and i'm a complete idiot

Depends on what subjects... Like all the thickos in the Royal Family take soft subjects like Art (random grade generator), History (dull fact memory test), General Studies (the ultimate in free A-level shortly followed by Media Studies).

 

[superkingdave]

Maths, Physics, Chemistry

 

[Scaly piscine]

Maths, Physics, Chemistry

Yea the sciences are proper subjects, except for computing which is incredibly tedious and has naff all to do with computing (that was what it was like when I did it anyway).

Thread content: Latest news on CricInfo - Michael Vaughan says England will quit their tour of Zimbabwe if they are forced to meet the President Robert Mugabe.

I dare say if Mugabe does turn up it will be without any prior notice, which would really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

 

[Langeveldt]

It must be really surreal, not being allowed to see anything or do anything or talk to anyone, getting ferried with police ******s everywhere.. Whats the point in the cricket?

 

[Langeveldt]

Its truth that cricket is business and you forget all ethics for it?

Yep.. Fraid so.. Morgan is just putting English crickets best interests at heart.. Thats what he is payed to do..

Its an absolute travesty that he was put in this position in the first place

 

[superkingdave]

Every one knows that and its sad. If the ECB had shut up I would understand they are not confirming to the views of the ICC and merely following them as it has no option. However, stating that our trade is cricket and the revenue part of our trade is international cricket shows they are totally supporting that view too.

So ECB is to be blamed for this.

To put the quote back in to context

"It has been clear to me and the ECB board that moral or political objections to touring are totally unnaceptable in the international cricket community"
"Our business, our trade, is cricket. Our revenue earner is international cricket. And if we want to trade in international circket we have to do so by the rules of the ICC. And it is crystal clear members of the ICC are not allowed to pull out of scheduled tours for moral or political reasons"

IMO thats a perfectly acceptable and true comment.

 

[superkingdave]

It is completely wrong that i haven't tested this position with other countries. I can assure you, it has been done, but the other nine countries don't agree. Around the world generally people are fed up with Britain claiming it is a special case. The rest of the world is unsympathetic to British claims of being special.

 

[Slow Love™]

It is completely wrong that i haven't tested this position with other countries. I can assure you, it has been done, but the other nine countries don't agree. Around the world generally people are fed up with Britain claiming it is a special case. The rest of the world is unsympathetic to British claims of being special.

This really puzzles me - when Australia were in Zimbabwe, there was confident speculation that all the countries except New Zealand and Zimbabwe (there was some ambiguity regarding South Africa) were in favor of cancelling the test series. The ZCU's offer to Cricket Australia to "postpone" the tests and play the one-dayers before the ICC's scheduled teleconference tends to back up the perception that it was going to happen.

How has so much changed now? I realise that the ICC management poo-pooed the Zimbabwean rebel cricketers' charges in the end, but they also acknowledged that the ZCU's conduct in the process was suspect. It would be wonderful if (as telsor suggested) some of these votes were more transparent. The fact that all the other nations are coercing England to tour surprises me.

 

[Slow Love™]

Latest news on CricInfo - Michael Vaughan says England will quit their tour of Zimbabwe if they are forced to meet the President Robert Mugabe.

I dare say if Mugabe does turn up it will be without any prior notice, which would really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

There's probably a reasonable chance of this happening, seeing as Mugabe clearly sees hosting these games as a possible affirmation for how things can be seen to be running smoothly in Zimbabwe.

In a strange way I actually hope he tries. I think it has the capacity to cause a real firestorm if he does, and I'd hope the English cricketers would follow through with their threat. It'll shine a big spotlight on the country that will probably spread to people who aren't necessarily cricket fans.

 

[Langeveldt]

Mugabe wouldn't want to be seen in a public place mate.. Such is the coward he can't even face his own people..

 

[twctopcat]

Where are the forces of good (i.e blair and bush) to dethrone this tyrannical leader?? I don't know the extent of the atrocities taking place having never lived there but i have a number of friends who used to live there. It's just nice to know that if the country doesn't have oil or pose a military/political threat it is still brushed under the carpet!!

 

[twctopcat]

Is this an slow out field or are the english batsmen not finding the middle? Never seen so many 3's before!!

 

[Scaly piscine]

Is this an slow out field or are the english batsmen not finding the middle? Never seen so many 3's before!!

Probably a combination of sluggish outfield and the speed of the Zim bowlers

 

[Langeveldt]

Where are the forces of good (i.e blair and bush) to dethrone this tyrannical leader?? I don't know the extent of the atrocities taking place having never lived there but i have a number of friends who used to live there. It's just nice to know that if the country doesn't have oil or pose a military/political threat it is still brushed under the carpet!!

He has forced 40% of his country into famine.. Not a drought induced one.
Thats 5.5 million threatened with starvation..

Just pointing out the facts here, not in anyway trying to suggest that we have been going after the wrong tosser for a year..

 

[Richard]

how many times does it have to be said? almost every player that succeeds at the international level will have succeeded in domestic cricket, its obvious to expect someone who succeeds at a higher will succeed at the lower level too. the point is that someone who succeeds at the domestic level doesnt necessarily have to succeed at the intl level and that has been proven 10000000 times.

And basically the situation is that more domestic successes will be international successes than domestic successes will be international failures.
And certainly domestic-success-international-failure is far, far more common than domestic-failure-international-success, which is why you should pick someone who has done well at the domestic level ahead of someone who hasn't.
And no, that doesn't affect the tried-and-failed-at-international-level - if you believe someone's a proven failure at international level (regardless of his domestic record) you don't pick him - which is why Hick (post-1996) and Knight played far too many Tests.

 

[Richard]

So it would've been better for them to have no game at all then?

That was the only reason the game took place, because the conditions were far from suitable.

Maybe so - if the conditions weren't suitable, the game isn't worth playing to the status.
Basically, two England-Namibia games became one.

 

[Richard]

Utter codswallop.

If you don't get wickets then the batting side will make hay.

Not if the bowling is in the right areas.
You just do not seem to get that it is not possible to score off good bowling, no matter how many wickets you have in hand. Unless you have rare amounts of luck.

Gough is continually not getting wickets (whilst conceding more and more runs), and I bet if it were Harmison getting those figures, you'd be demanding he's dropped.

Total rubbish, I've said that so many times.

Every bowler has to be capable of taking at least 1 wicket a match - sides do not win games without taking wickets.

A strike bowler is a key part of any side.

Yes, and so are bowlers who can bowl economically.
Sides do not win games if the ball is being flayed for 5-an-over and more consistently.
If you can keep the runs down, you don't need to take wickets.

 

[Richard]

Hence the top 6 in the last Playfair I got for FC averages includes Hick, Ramprakash, Knight, Brown and 2 others who's name escape me (and I have to go to work in a minute so can't check) but were also pretty poor or non-existant at International level.

Similarly the bowlers are topped by workhorse county bowlers who've never done it in Tests and never will.

Plenty of whom weren't given sufficient chances - Brown, for example, and Bicknell.
Most of the players who've been picked on "hunches" have failed - most of the players who've done well have got good domestic records. It works both ways - just depends on which way you want to see it.