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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
DECLINING standards in Matabeleland schools’ cricket is a cause for concern for Zimbabwe national Under-19 coach Prosper Utseya.

Speaking on the sidelines of a scouting exercise carried out by the Under-19 selection panel at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday, Utseya said what he saw from the Matabeleland lads was not as impressive compared to past standards.

Utseya was in the company of selectors, Moses Chitare, Pollock Mubhobho, Gavin Ewing and national teams’ manager Dilip Chouhan.

The scouting is aimed at identifying players to represent the country in the 2022 International Cricket Council Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.

“If I want to be honest, I didn’t see what I was expecting. It’s not as good as it has been in the past few years; the standard of play has gone down and it’s a worrying sign,” Utseya said.

A total of 26 youngsters, from Falcon College, Christian Brothers College, Petra College, Milton, Mtshabezi, Mpopoma, Emakhandeni and Luveve High schools attended the scouting session that took place the whole of Saturday.

Utseya said it is understandable that the boys had not played any cricket since March and they have to work hard with their coaches ahead of the national trials to be held in Harare from December 12-19.

“In defence of development and schools’ coaches, most of these guys have not been playing cricket for the past six months because of Covid-19. They have got about two months to work on their game and hopefully they can improve their game. There is really nothing to be honest,” said Utseya.

Before coming to Bulawayo, Utseya went to Kwekwe where only nine boys pitched up.

“Midlands was our first stop; there were nine players, out of the nine players only a couple were quite impressive, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

Old Hararians is the venue for the scouting for players from Harare and Mashonaland East this Saturday before the process moves to Mashonaland West, with Manicaland and Masvingo boys trying their luck in Mutare.

According to Utseya, a total of 79 players have been submitted from the provinces, with 90 anticipated for the national trials in December since some might have been omitted.

The national selectors are expected to identify a squad of 30 players at the national trials, with the chosen boys set to start preparing for the ICC Under-19 World Cup to be staged in early 2022. — @Mdawini_29