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Cup total in a rain-ravaged match in Sri Lanka on Monday, but two of Pakistan’s greatest fast bowlers have given them an alibi for their failures in the decisive match at the Pallekele.
However, a former Indian star believes Zimbabwe have done very little at this World Cup to justify their automatic place at the tournament and, backing the ICC recommendation for a 10-team tournament in 2015, said the Zimbabweans would need to go through a qualifying process.
Needing to win the match against Pakistan, to retain an outside chance of securing a place in the quarter-finals of this World Cup, Zimbabwe found themselves on the back foot from the moment star batsman Brendan Taylor was caught behind for only four in the very first over.
Zimbabwe then limped to 13-3, after losing opener Regis Chakabva fell for a duck and Vusi Sibanda could only manage five in his comeback game, and such was their struggles, during that period, that they were only scoring an average of about two runs per over in their first five.
Tatenda Taibu scored 19 and Craig Ervine 52 while their were notable contributions from Greg Lamb (16), skipper Elton Chigumbura (32 not out) and the consistent Prosper Utseya 18 as Zimbabwe reached 151-7 in 39.4 overs.
But all the batsmen found the going tough and, even among those who contributed, there were a number of scares, including inside edges that flew away, and Zimbabwe coach Alan Butcher was critical of his team’s batting again in a key winner-take-all game.
“Unfortunately, pretty much the same as the game before and the game before that,” said Butcher. “Everybody in the dressing room, particularly the batters, are very unhappy with the way things are.
“None of them have gone out there trying to give their wickets away. They have all worked hard and it’s just that at this moment in time things are not going well for 80 percent of our batting unit.”
The Zimbabweans arrived here at around midnight yesterday for the final leg of their 2011 World Cup tour where they will play for their honour in the game against Kenya in Kolkata on Sunday.
But the demons of their batting failures in Sri Lanka are still haunting them and, after an impressive start against the hosts in the first match on that island with Taylor and Chakabva taking the score to 116-0, Zimbabwe crashed to 188 all out.
They never got going against Pakistan, after winning the toss and electing to bat in overcast conditions, and once they slumped to 13-3, it became increasingly clear that they were chasing that game.
Former Pakistan captain, Wasim Akram, one of the greatest fast bowlers to grace the game, said the Zimbabweans were undone by seamer Umar Gul, whom he described as unplayable during that match.
Gul’s first spell was impressive, taking two wickets for eight runs, before he returned to account for Utseya in a spell in which he conceded more runs for his 3-36 but it was his damage, at the top, which impressed Wasim.
“Umar Gul is actually one of the best bowlers in the tournament,” said Wasim. “He, along with Dale Steyn, has been the best so far.
“Gul is bowling like a true match-winner.
“The way he runs to the crease, his line and length have all been impeccable. Against Zimbabwe, he was unplayable.”
Pakistan’s victory over Zimbabwe meant that they reached the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time since 1999.
Team coach Waqar Younis, who used to share the new ball with Wasim during an era when they bamboozled batsmen with reverse swing and yorkers, also praised Gul.
“Umar Gul was exceptional. Then we fielded well and our top order batted pretty well during the chase,” said Waqar.
“When we talk about Gul, there are a couple of things. Whenever he is hurt, he comes back a real good bowler. We have seen that in the past.
“Whenever people start talking about his rhythm, or talk about dropping him, he bounces back. He is that kind of character.
“Against Sri Lanka he bowled well at times and poorly at times and that hurt him. He has worked tremendously hard in the nets since then and that makes a big difference.”
Gul has taken 10 wickets at this World Cup so far.
Meanwhile, former Indian star Sanjay Manjrekar, who is now one of the world’s premier cricket commentators and analysts, believes Zimbabwe have done very little at this World Cup to justify automatic qualification into the tournament.
“Bangladesh, in spite of their recent wins against England and their clean sweep of the Kiwis at home, are in my eyes, still only slightly better than the minnows of world cricket,” he wrote in his column in The Times of India.
“But Netherlands still looked much inferior to Bangladesh, bringing up the issue of minnows and the quality of cricket they bring to cricket’s greatest stage.
“Haroon Lorgat (ICC chief executive) recently hinted at having 10 teams in the next World Cup and, understandably, the associate nations were displeased. The World Cup is their only chance in four years to get into the spotlight and they were being denied that by this new intent.
“Who do not want to be in the spotlight? All of us do, but the important question is, do we deserve that spotlight? As far as Canada, Netherlands and Zimbabwe are concerned, the answer is No. Not yet. But what they certainly deserve is a shot at it.
“And I believe that shot in the spotlight should not come while in the spotlight of the main World Cup. For the World Cup, the greatest stage in the sport, has one, just one obligation to its fans – to exhibit its excellence to of the sport.”