*Official* West Indies in Zimbabwe Thread

[Craig]

Mr Mxyzplkt,

Are they going to be with the same squad for the tour of South Africa? Or will there be changes?

I am asking as they would of brought Ravi Rampaul just for the experience. I think he needs time for West Indies 'B' and with West Indies 'A' on any tours they go on to get experience. But if he is good enough, then he probably will play.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

The squad will be open for change ahead of the South Africa series. I'm strongly opposed to Rampaul being on tour at this stage in his career and would be very disappointed if the WICB were to send him to South Africa.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

D. Ebrahim lbw b Drakes 14
V. Sibanda lbw b Taylor 51
C. Evans lbw b Taylor 11
B. Rogers b Drakes 35
S. Matsikenyeri not out 84
E. Chigumbura b Drakes 0
T. Friend lbw b Drakes 4
A. Maregwede b Drakes 0
G. Ewing b Taylor 4
N. Mahwire b Taylor 2
J. Nicolle b Gayle 3
Extras (lb 7, w 7, nb 20) 34
Total (all out, 66.2 overs) 242

Taylor 17-3-46-4
Rampaul 14-0-64-0
Drakes 19-2-66-5
Gayle 6.2-0-25-1
Sarwan 4-0-21-0
Samuels 6-2-13-0

 

[Salamuddin]

Rampaul's quite quick

From Cricinfo's match report, I gather Rampaul and Taylor are both quite pacy.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Taylor is up around 90 but when he gets older with some more size, he could probably be around 94-5 more regularly.

Rampaul is quick, but I've never seen a speedometer reading on him.

C. Gayle lbw b Mahwire 12
W. Hinds b Mahwire 9
C. Baugh c Maregwede b Nicolle 44
R. Sarwan lbw b Nicolle 10
M. Samuels not out 109
R. Jacobs b Ewing 26
D. Ganga not out 25
Extras (lb 5, w 6) 11
Total (5 wickets, 41 overs) 246

More selection dilemnas for the West Indies. If Samuels plays, I can't see who would miss out.

Friend 6-0-49-0
Mahwire 6-0-26-2
Nicolle 7-0-50-2
Chigumbura 8-2-36-0
Ewing 10-0-60-1
Matsikenyeri 4-0-20-0

 

[Richard]

Gayle and Hinds won't be happy about this. Sarwan won't be amused, either.
Chanderpaul, Jacobs, Ganga, Samuels and Baugh will be more than satisfied. What a great game for these four.
Yet another terrible game for Zimbabwean cricket.
I'd say it's a trifle optimistic to hope for Taylor to manage 95 mph.

 

[Mr. P]

At least Gayle should be happy with his bowling:P

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I'd say it's a trifle optimistic to hope for Taylor to manage 95 mph.

You've seen him?

 

[Craig]

Hey Gayle isnt that bad of a bowler. Ok he isnt the greatest, but isnt the worst and vital member of Lara's bowling line-up.

 

[gibbsnsmith]

You've seen him?

Well, he cant have based tha on staistics .....*ponders*...i take that back.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Hey Gayle isnt that bad of a bowler. Ok he isnt the greatest, but isnt the worst and vital member of Lara's bowling line-up.

I would say that Gayle is one of the better ODI bowlers in the world.

 

[Craig]

Certainly for as a finger spinner.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

D. Ebrahim c Hinds b Sarwan 41
V. Sibanda lbw b Taylor 4
C. Evans b Taylor 59
B. Rogers c Ganga b Drakes 45
S. Matsikenyeri b Taylor 5
E. Chigumbura b Taylor 0
T. Friend c Sarwan b Taylor 4
A. Maregwede lbw b Taylor 5
G. Ewing not out 42
N. Mahwire c sub (Lara) b Drakes 10
J. Nicole not out 0
Extras (b 9, lb 7, w 3, nb 12) 31
Total (9 wickets, 84 overs) 246

Taylor 18 5 58 6 (nb 1)
Rampaul 16 2 61 0 (nb 2, w 1)
Hinds 1 0 1 0
Drakes 14 4 30 2 (nb 5, w 1)
Gayle 15 3 41 0
Sarwan 13 4 23 1
Chanderpaul 2 0 2 0
Samuels 5 2 14 0

10 for Taylor, struggles for Rampaul and 7 for Drakes.

The XI will probably resemble this IMO...

CH Gayle
D Ganga
RR Sarwan
BC Lara
S Chanderpaul
MN Samuels
RD Jacobs +
VC Drakes
M Dillon
JE Taylor
CD Collymore

 

[Craig]

Why no Hinds?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Surely it's obvious. Hinds got single digit scores in each innings and Ganga and Samuels got hundreds.

 

[Rik]

Gavin Ewing finally gets a wicket and some runs under his belt, I think it's a bad case of nerves and the faster he gets over it the better off Zimbabwe are. Although someone with an average of nearly 50 batting below Maregwede, average 20, is rather confusing.

That was Samuels' 2nd FC 100, his 1st was scored in a Test match.

 

[Rik]

Not looking good for Zimbabwe, before a ball has even been bowled in the Tests!

Ewing saves the tour match for them and they drop him, and bring in Stuart Matsikenyeri, who, whilst touring England with the side earlier this year, appeared to have no technique to speak of. They drop Ebrahim, who, although not really being Test Standard (and not being an opener but being forced to play there most of the the time when he would rather play in the middle order), was one of the Zimbabwean batsmen who actually showed he valued his wicket (unlike Matsikenyeri who kept throwing his away). Blessing Mahwire gets picked AGAIN despite looking nothing like even county standard in his previous Test.

Murray Goodwin might have broken the code of conduct in Australia but what he said rings so true when you look at this squad. Honestly what have Matsikenyeri and Mahwire done to get picked? Zimbabwe will continue to get crushed whilst they pick sub-standard players. Really is it worth picking weaker players because of their colour when it means you are likely to kill the sport in your country?

 

[V Reddy]

They drop Ebrahim

:O :O . I thought he was one of their better batsman.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Ebring in Stuart Matsikenyeri, who, whilst touring England with the side earlier this year, appeared to have no technique to speak of

Granted he did score 80odd not out in the first innings.

 

[Neil Pickup]

In defence of Matsikenyeri, he actually appears to be scoring a few runs - which is more than a lot of that team are doing.

I was hyper-critical of his selection but I think he's justified himself somewhat.

Mahwire is a race selection - that can be said without doubt - it has no place in World Cricket.