***Official*** New Zealand in Zimbabwe & Zimbabwe/New Zealand/India ODI Tri-Series

[SJS]

Providing Cover for Yuvraj

The meaningless match has started. ganguly has won the toss and, surprise surprise, decided to field.

The match need not have been so meaninless for India if they had used the opportunity to try some of their "batting" benchstrength.

Yes, they have brought in some bowlers from the bench but has bowling been their problem, no. Do any of the bowlers look likely to break into this team as of date...no.

So why not rest Kaif and/or Yuvraj and bring in Venugopal and/or Raina. What could have gone wrong if India had done that. i will tell you what could have gone wrong.

Just suppose, for a minute that Yuvraj fails in todays game (with the team as is being played today), what is the possibility of the tour selection committee even considering dropping him. Because drop him and play who ? All the batsmen who are going to play are in. Those who might be considered to replace him, God forbid, are not playing. How can they be brought in for the finals to replace Yuvraj. It would be a ridiculous gamble.

Now. Consider the team included Raina(or Venugopal). And consider that Yuvraj had played(with Kaif being dropped) and still failed. NOW suppose while Yuvraj failed raina(or Venugopal) scored a memorable 80 odd to win the match for india. What would the selectors do now. Would the case for Yuvraj's selection for the finals be as open and shut as in the first case. Only the mentally challenged or objectively impaired will answer in the affirmative.

This is the storm from which may break out if the batting bench strength is tested and the test result is positive !!! It would be negative for Yuvraj. It is from this bit of possible rough weather that young Yuvraj needs to be shielded.

You think this scenario is too far-fetched, well you have another scores of thinks coming. This team and its captain are now clearly thinking of the individuals and thier interests rather than the team as the new coach would want (and i suspect the former captain and and a couple of others in and outside the team) but at the moment the reins of power are firmly esconced with the Calcutta syndicate.

This Indian team is going nowhere. take it from me.

 

[Sir Redman]

Styris did bowl well, but I was livid with his batting towards the end. I appreciate that he got the top score and got us out of trouble, but towards the end when he was just blocking it, I knew we were around 20-30 runs short. He just batting with no urgency

Yeah I thought that too...when he did try and slog it he just had a wild swing across the line and of course skyed it.

Oram's no slogger either. Those boundaries he hit were due to the Indian bowlers dishing up half volleys.

 

[Chubb]

Great effort from the batsmen today, especially Taibu and Chappie. If Blignaut does his thing then 260+ is in the offing. It's just a shame that the contracts row has reared its ugly head again. It's looking like Carlisle, Wishart, Rogers and Ferreira are in big trouble.

I think Carlisle and Wishart have been pretty stupid in the current atmosphere to drop out of a game to give the younger players a go.

 

[Prince EWS]

I think Carlisle and Wishart have been pretty stupid in the current atmosphere to drop out of a game to give the younger players a go.

Is that why Carlisle wasnt picked?

Well, its better than what I originally thought, I guess.

 

[Chubb]

He and wishy asked not to play to give the yougsters a run out but because of that Bvute has withdrawn their contract offers, as well as Barney's and Ferriera's.

A row over contracts between Zimbabwe Cricket and its players is threatening to develop into the kind of ugly strike that brought cricket to its knees here 18 months ago.

Zimbabwe Cricket had offered Tatenda Taibu, Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut renewed contracts, but withdrew offers made to Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart, Barney Rogers and Neil Ferreira after the first two refused to take part in Sunday's one-day international against India.

Other players have been told that their contracts would be considered at the end of this month, depending on how they perform in the next few weeks. This has upset the players. Carlisle told AFP: "This could even be just as serious for cricket here as the last dispute 18 months ago because this time the black players are with us."

Carlisle was at the forefront of the 2004 strike sparked by Streak's sacking for complaining about alleged racism by the selectors. He was one of 15 contracted players, all white, who backed Streak and were fired in turn. This set off months of negotiations characterised by hostilities and legal confrontations.

Carlisle said at his Harare home Saturday that he told Kevin Curran, the Zimbabwe coach, that he did not want to play against India in the last league match of the Videocon Cup, nor did Wishart. They preferred, he said, for lower-level players to be given the experience.

Carlisle said this was reported by Curran to ZC general manager Osias Bvute, who "immediately withdrew my contract and those of the others". Carlisle, who has played in 37 Tests and 112 ODIs for his country, now faces the end of his international cricket career, along with Wishart, Rogers and Ferreira, the latter after playing in just one match against New Zealand last month.

Carlisle said: "I have plans in hand, but I cannot say what they are." Carlisle and Grant Flower, who is now with Essex, were the most outspoken of the players during their 2004 dispute with ZC. All the affected contract players have held several meetings during the last two days and will have another one on Monday concerning the issue.

Clive Field, their representative, has held at least one meeting with Bvute, but the outcome is not known. Bvute was not available for comment. Those newly contracted are also unhappy with the overall situation and have been involved in meetings with the others, Field said. Streak commented: "I can confirm that there are to be further talks on this issue next week. Other than that I should not discuss it."

Total and utterly vindictive overeaction from Bvute, but stupid of Carlisle and Wishy to have done that.

 

[Prince EWS]

What did Rogers and Fereirra have to do with it though?

They dont seem to have been involved with the Carlisle/Wishart situation, yet their contract offers have also been removed...

 

[adharcric]

-In the talk at the break, Gavaskar and Shastri were right on the spot with their comments about the Indian batsmen not being put on their toes and being given "untouchable" status (a good thing in this case) in the team.
-Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao should've definitely played in today's match, even if it meant benching someone like Yuvraj, Kaif, Sehwag or even Dravid (can't say Ganguly cuz you know that won't happen).
-RP Singh was bowling just over 80 mph today was decent today, but nothing more than a younger Nehra/Zaheer with less pace, at least for now. He should be groomed and given more opportunities though, has potential.
-With Agarkar's solid performance so far in this series (11 wickets @ 14 in 4 matches, 4.4 rpo), India seem to have an in-form pace battery (Pathan, Khan, Nehra, Agarkar) in the one-day version. Three of them should play in every match, one being Pathan.
-Harbhajan was better today, Kartik was crap, Kumble doesn't have a bright one-day future ... definitely need more options like Powar, Mishra, etc.
-JP Yadav should be a regular in the team now, with another all-rounder in the squad such as Ramesh Powar.
-Each of our batsmen has averaged 30 or above in 2005, except for Ganguly (18). If he doesn't make a big score soon, ... actually, he'll still be the damn captain.
-Our opening woes are increasing, as I type, Ganguly unluckily gets caught brilliantly by Sibanda at point.

damn, better focus on the game now, this is getting dangerous ...

 

[Adamc]

23/2 chasing 250. Ganguly really is in rubbish form.

 

[superkingdave]

Ganguly had all the time in the world and could have place it
anywhere but he just went hard at it and never bothered to keep it
down

he he

 

[andyc]

Zimbabs really sticking it to the Indians

 

[Chubb]

What did Rogers and Fereirra have to do with it though?

They dont seem to have been involved with the Carlisle/Wishart situation, yet their contract offers have also been removed...

Well I don't honestly know. I suppose that Barney was dropped because of some friction for whatever reason, and Ferreira has been overlooked for so long, and then immediately dropped that they maight not have given him one anyway. I suppoose the thinking is; who needs experienced players when you have the genius of Vusi Sibanda?

Great work today by Ireland and Mahwire with the new ball. If Heath was there I'd back Zimbabwe to win but I wonder how the Indians will fare against Utseya and Ewing in the middle overs.

 

[Adamc]

36/4. Wake-up call, anyone?

 

[Chubb]

Come on guys! Finish them! I take back what I said a second ago, I back Zimbabwe to win.

 

[Nate]

Tee he he.

You know you`re not having a lucky day when Blignaut bowls a good ball at you. This is awesome though. Stick it to `em Zimbabwe!

 

[shaka]

Dont think they will be taking it as a pointless match anymore, some reputations are on the line. They do not want to be the next Australia v Bangladesh game.

 

[luckyeddie]

AA to save the day?

 

[Adamc]

Convenient time for India to bring their sub on.

 

[Prince EWS]

36/4. Wake-up call, anyone?

Far from it.

They are just being outplayed.

Go Zim!

 

[Chubb]

More news on the contracts

Players say new contracts 'a body blow'

Cricinfo staff

September 3, 2005

Zimbabwe Cricket's player contracts debate took a surprise turn after the board withdrew the contract offers to three players - Stuart Carlisle, Neil Ferreira and Barney Rogers.

On Thursday, ZC announced that only three players - Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu and Andy Blignaut - would get long-term contracts, but four other senior players, Trevor Gripper, Doug Marillier, Mark Vermuelen and Mluleki Nkala, did not even make the initial list of 27 players to get the level-one performance-based contracts.

The board said that the decision to give short-term performance-related contracts had resulted from recent poor displays. "It's a strange decision," one of the players made the offer said. "It's completely taken everyone by surprise. It's a body blow. We are not sure of the reasons why ZC had to resort to such a move. It hasn't helped morale at all ahead of the next game (on Sunday against India).

"The players feel strongly about the issue. The guys have discussed it and felt that they should just go on and play tomorrow to keep cricket going, but they are completely devastated by the decision,".

Carlisle has been struggling with form since returning to the side following the rebel strike. But Ferreira and Rogers are two of the most talented and promising young players in Zimbabwe. Insiders suggest that the two might have had clashes with certain ZC board members. Rogers was a surprise omission from the Test series with New Zealand, and the Videocon one-day tri-series, raising rumours of a clash with the selectors. Ferreira was rather harshly discarded after his debut Test against New Zealand, and that followed a long period of him being inexplicably overlooked.

Gripper, Marillier and Vermuelen, the other players cast into the wilderness, have previously fallen out with ZC, and Gripper's father was identified by ZC officials as being one of the main figures in last year's player strike. Nkala, one of the more experienced young players in the team, is the chairman of the Zimbabwe Professional Cricketers' Association.

 

[Adamc]

Far from it.

They are just being outplayed.

Go Zim!

Well, obviously they are being outplayed, but I doubt India are batting well by any stretch, which is why it should be a wake-up call to the batsmen. Especiallly in light of what SJS posted earlier.