Zimpapers Logo

Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
SELECTING a national team for any sporting discipline is by no means an easy task.

Whatever squad the selectors come up with, not all are satisfied with the team selected, as they feel certain players should have been included and others left out.

Last week, Zimbabwe Cricket announced the 15 players tasked with doing duty for the country in the International Cricket Council World Cup Qualifier.

The 10-team tournament takes place in Zimbabwe from March 4-25. It became clear that those that did duty in the United Arab Emirates are the same players tasked with the job of ensuring Zimbabwe make it to next year’s Cricket World Cup in England.

What has angered Zimbabwean cricket lovers about the squad is that chief selector Tatenda Taibu and his panel stuck with the same players that embarrassed our nation against Afghanistan in UAE.

Zimbabwe lost the series to the fast improving Afghans in pathetic fashion.

For Taibu to entrust the same players to take us to the World Cup in England is expecting too much. Only two teams will proceed to next year’s tournament. With the way Zimbabwe played against Afghanistan, it is hard to imagine them being one of the top two teams in the Qualifier where West Indies, Afghanistan and Ireland pose the biggest threat.

Efforts to get Taibu to speak about the team selected have repeatedly hit a brick wall, as the former national captain feels he does not have to justify his selection to the media.

Taibu doesn’t bother to respond to any inquiry, including text messages sent directly to him. All efforts to get him to comment via ZC officials have also proved futile.

One player that Taibu’s panel has consistently snubbed is Cephas Zhuwao, who has been in the limelight since he struck a double century in a Logan Cup match for Harare Metropolitan Eagles against Midlands Rhinos late last year. The left hander was again in good form for Zimbabwe A against Kenya where he blasted 131 runs off 52 deliveries.

Unless the series was just a pointless exercise, then Zhuwao’s display should have counted for something. It is clear that Taibu had already made up his mind on the 15-man squad for the World Cup Qualifier. What the selectors should have done to ensure they stick to their plan was to get Zhuwao on the plane to UAE; give him a chance against Afghanistan and only stick to the team they had already decided on if he failed.

For as long as the team continues to put up poor displays as was the case in UAE, then the noise on Zhuwao’s exclusion will not go away. The tragedy would be to give in to pressure and drop someone for Zhuwao and then he flops on the crucial stage.

Zimbabwe have up to Sunday to decide if they want to change the squad they have already submitted to the ICC. We are watching with keen interest if the selectors decide to drop some of the players who struggled against Afghanistan.

Another player that deserves to be looked at is Timycen Maruma, who has over the years developed into a pinch hitting batsman, having started off his career as a leg-spinner.

Whatever Taibu and his selection panel decide to do, they must face the consequences if Zimbabwe fail to make it to the final to be played at Harare Sports Club on March 25.

It cannot be business as usual after the ZC board worked so hard to ensure that the country hosts the World Cup Qualifier to give our boys home advantage.

Head coach Heath Streak and his technical team cannot be allowed to offer more excuses for not delivering. The boys got enough preparations by playing a triangular series against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well as the seven limited overs matches against Afghanistan.

The time for excuses is over and we expect the Chevrons to play better in the Qualifiers.

We are fully behind our boys to deliver, but we cannot continue to back a team that embarrasses us on the international stage.

@Mdawini_29