We're halfway through the season!
ZCC have really struggled in the 50 over format this season. An upset defeat to get knocked out of the Cup in R2, and are dead last in Div 1.1, with just the solitary win to show for it.
The batting has not fired at all - Ahsan and Samra have had good seasons so far, while Younis is doing decently. Raun Shkorer has averaged just 15 in 9 competitive 50 over innings, and the rest of the lineup has hardly fared much better. Ahsan has also been our best bowler, and young Naeem Ashraf has gone alright when playing on dry tracks, but the rest of the attack has struggled.
The gap in quality between us and the rest of the teams has been clear to see - we're in the bottom 3 of XPV alongside Krypto Knights (who we beat) and Basco (who beat us when we failed to chase just 209 to win).
I think the reason we've struggled so much to stay competitive is a lack of a clear winning strategy. We have been unable to make our home pitch a 'fortress'. While the versatility in our squad was our strength in Div 2, it has just meant that we are mediocre over a wide range of conditions in Div 1.
With no clear strategy on how to arrest this slide in sigh, a drop back to Div 2 seems likely. ZCC management is contemplating when to consider the rest of the Div 1 season a wash and to use the game time to develop some upcoming talent instead. There are also talks of scouting the TM, but indecision over what gaps really need filling. With CWC10 looming, some decisions will need to be made and made quickly.
What complicates this situation is that ZCC have been exceptional in the T20 format, and are in 2nd place in Div 1.1 on NRR! Of course, things can change quickly in this volatile format, but one hopes this strong start will ensure another season in the top flight. Raun has found the shorter format more to his speed, averaging 59 at a SR of 124, while Sampath and Ghani have taken 28 wickets between them in 7 games. The same personnel that have struggled in the 50 over have done excellently so far in the T20, so any changes will need to consider the repercussions in the shorter format. Danial Ahsan has been excellent in this format too, with the 2nd most runs and 3rd most wickets - is a call up to the BD Nat squad on his radar?
The Dev side have more or less performed to expectations - bot bashing in Div 3 but bottom half of the table in CWC9. Ewen Rockall and Naeem Ashraf will age out of the side in 6 and 10 weeks respectively, so the hunt is on for their replacement, while tough decisions are being made about their future in the squad. Rumours have it that frontline spinner Tim Chester - with just 10 wickets in 12 competitive games this season - might be cut to make room for the young bowlers.
Financially ZCC have managed to earn close to 600k over the course of the season. This represents around 25% of ZCC's pre-season bank balance. However, with just 2.8 mill in the bank overall, ZCC are not in a position to make any major purchases for world class players.