Zimbabwe CFX National Academy - Class of 2003

Fifteen players have been named for the 2003 CFX Academy intake, which will run from May to August this year. Since the Academy is no longer fielding a team in the Logan Cup competition, the change of dates will allow the players to play a full part in the club cricket programme, as well as more senior levels of the game if selected.

There were 51 applications for 17 places (two of which are reserved for as yet unnamed students from Kenya). Preliminary trials were held at the Academy on 5 and 6 December last year, after which the national selectors chose 27 to undergo final trials there on 6 and 7 January. This led to the selection of the final 15.

Three of the 2002 students - Charles Coventry, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Vusi Sibanda - will return for a second year, in line with ZCU policy, as it is felt another year would benefit them. Coventry and Matsikenyeri missed much of the early programme last year due to other cricketing commitments: Coventry went with the national team to India for the experience, while Matsikenyeri played club cricket in Australia.

The 15 are as follows:

Ryan Bennett (Mashonaland)
Erick Chauluka (Mashonaland)
Stanley Chioza (Mashonaland)
Charles Coventry (Matabeleland)
Dylan de Beer (Mashonaland)
Craig Ervine (Mashonaland)
Gavin Ewing (Matabeleland)
Anthony Ireland (Midlands)
Adiel Kugotsi (Manicaland)
Johnson Marumisa (Mashonaland)
Stuart Matsikenyeri (Mashonaland)
Norman Mukondiwa (Matabeleland)
Vusi Sibanda (Midlands)
Greg Strydom (Matabeleland)
Kudzai Taibu (Mashonaland)

Until the course starts in May, the students will continue to play club and Logan Cup cricket, and have been provided with a training programme to undertake until then. With Eddo Brandes having recently left for Australia, the Academy coach for 2003 has not yet been appointed, and there is a suggestion that it may be somebody from outside the country.

The Academy intake each year is chosen by the national selectors. One of them, Stephen Mangongo, who has for years been heavily involved in the development programme, has supplied us with basic information about the 2003 students.

He says, "This year we have a mixture of players who have been playing in the leagues, players who have just left school, and three who are going back to the Academy for a second year. These three definitely have enough talent, but in Zimbabwe we do not play enough cricket during the winter period, so it has been seen fit that if we get these boys back into the Academy where they are able to play more cricket and get more coaching, hopefully it will help them to develop faster.

Ryan Bennett is a former St George's College boy who plays for Old Georgians. He will offer variation in the bowling department as an away-swing bowler and we believe that a stay in the Academy will help him to improve in the swing department. He also has potential as a batsman.

Erick Chauluka was one of the first boys to come through the scholarship scheme in the township of Highfield. He went to Lord Malvern School for his A-levels, but unfortunately they were not playing among the top schools, so he had to take a back seat while boys playing for schools like Prince Edward and Churchill took the limelight. Now he has been playing club cricket for the past two years and is opening batsman for Takashinga. He has a lot of cricket in him and I hope he will develop in the Academy.

Stanley Chioza is a former Prince Edward School scholarship boy who has come up through the ranks. He has been playing for Takashinga first team. He is a big boy, an all-out fast bowler, and we believe that his workout in the Academy will make him a better bowler.

Dylan de Beer plays for Alexandra Sports Club and is a former Eaglesvale boy. He has a natural aggressive flair with the bat. He spent the winter playing in England, but is now back in town and has decided he wants to join the Academy.

Craig Ervine is the younger brother of Sean - cricket runs in the family with the Ervines! He has just left Lomagundi College. He is a top-order batsman with a solid technique and has done very well for the national Under-19 team, for whom he has scored a couple of fifties. He also bowls some off-spin.

Gavin Ewing was rejected by the Academy two years ago on fitness ground but is now being given another opportunity. He has been on the scene for the past few years, playing Under-19 cricket and representing Zimbabwe in the Africa Cup. He is an all-rounder, an off-spinner full of enthusiasm and energy, and we believe he is also going to benefit from his stay in the Academy.

Anthony Ireland is a young man from the Midlands area who has been identified. He was at Plumtree High School, a big boy with good physique who is a fast bowler. If his technique is worked on, he has the potential to come through. Clive Lloyd, on his recent visit to this country when Pakistan were playing, passed through Kwekwe and was very impressed when he saw this boy in training. When he played in the trials, he was the fastest bowler.

Adiel Kugotsi, from Mutare, has just left school. He is a fast bowler with a lot of potential. He has a good physique and has played in Logan Cup matches for Manicaland. We hope that the four-month stint in the Academy will help him to develop.

Johnson Marumisa is a Churchill scholarship boy from the townships, a top-order batsman and leg-spinner, although a little raw on the spinning side. He has been scoring a lot of runs for Takashinga and we believe that the Academy will help him to fine-tune his technique.

Norman Mukondiwa, from Matabeleland, is a very raw pace bowler, but because of his potential he has been enrolled in the Academy.

Greg Strydom is from Matabeleland. This young man has been playing league and Logan Cup cricket for the last two years, and scored a first-class century at the age of 17. He missed selection for the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand but has now been given the opportunity to work in the Academy.

Kudzai Taibu is the younger brother of Tatenda, a wicket-keeper/batsman, and some people say he has more flair than his brother with the bat. He can hit the ball hard and far.

Stephen says, "Zimbabwe will have 15 students and the other two will come from Kenya, as part of helping cricket to develop in Africa."

One criticism that could be levelled at the Academy is that some of the students who have graduated in previous years have actually failed even to succeed as players at Logan Cup level. Could this be a wastage of resources and money, taking in students who are scarcely likely to approach international quality?

Stephen replies, "It's an interesting scenario. We don't have a big player base and the Academy is playing a vital role in bringing quality cricketers to play in the clubs, at provincial level, and the top players at international level. The ones who have not been very successful have actually proved very good as coaches.

"So the Academy is playing a dual role here, in that it has produced good players - the likes of Douggie Hondo, Travis Friend, Mluleki Nkala and so on - but at the same time other players who have graduated have been an asset to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union development programme. They have been running excellent coaching programmes; for example, Ryan King has not really blossomed as a player, but he has carved a niche as a coach in Matabeleland. So I think it is imperative that we keep the numbers and develop our base of players, and the ones who do not shape up as players are given the opportunity to develop as coaches."

Stephen praises Kish Gokal, the Academy manager, for his hard work in putting together the programme for 2003. "In the past the boys used to come in early, in January or February, and do a lot of fitness training, and after that they would go on to the technical side and play a few cricket matches. This year we will see the students come into the Academy fully fit already because they have already been given programmes by Steve Scott, our fitness consultant, to make sure that between January and May they get fit. They will be monitored monthly, so that as soon as they get into the Academy they will need to deal with only technical issues, not fitness issues.

"The second issue, which I think is a fantastic idea, is to make sure that these boys play more games. No matter how much coaching they get in the nets, the bottom line is that the best teacher is out there in the middle, playing in matches. I understand Kish Gokal and the other administrators have been working very hard to ensure that this season we will go down to South Africa and play some of the provincial academies, possibly get involved in the Academy week in South Africa, and to me that is the most interesting part of this coming season."

From this point of view, it is unfortunate that the new Logan Cup programme does not make it possible for the Academy team to participate. "In the past it helped them to play as a team," says Stephen. "But what is happening is that the Academy students will go into the provinces and meet senior players there who will help their game to grow."