Zimbabwe Cricket Online editorial, issue 22

Editorial, Issue 22, November 10 2000

The American presidential election this past week made me think of comparing it with an exciting cricket match between, say, Manicaland and Midlands. A thrilling finish, with everybody uncertain of the result as they awaited the third umpire's decision on a run-out attempt off the final ball - but the players themselves were not of the highest quality.

Perhaps there are some fans of Bore or Gush (as many Americans have called them) out there who resent that view of their favourite, and perhaps the next president will indeed surprise those who underestimate him, but there may also be those from Manicaland or Midlands who feel insulted by the analogy. We are happy to include provincial reports from both those provinces this week, which indicate that the game is thriving in the small Zimbabwean cities of Mutare and Kwekwe.

A few years ago cricket of any quality in either centre appeared to be a thing of the past. But a small number of dedicated men have changed all that, and our correspondents are two who have been in the forefront. From Manicaland we have former national all-rounder Mark Burmester, current captain of the province, and from Midlands Ken Connelly, Logan Cup player last season, and current provincial chairman and holder of the ZCU Administrator of the Year award for his achievements in that area. We hope that they, along with former national all-rounder Derrick Townshend from Matabeleland, will be regular contributors. Unfortunately we have so far been unable to find a willing contributor from Masvingo, which may well along with the Lowveld be the next team to join the Logan Cup.

The Zimbabwe team have arrived in India - but without their baggage, mislaid in London apparently, and without their captain as Heath Streak was having a wisdom tooth removed. Local cynics, who can be as bitter about their team as any English supporter, would say this is typical, but it was scarcely their fault and they have made quite an impressive start to their tour. It is to be hoped that they will find good pitches to play on, especially in the Tests, and be able to give a good account of themselves.

If I had to bet on Zimbabwe's most successful batsman on this tour I would go for Alistair Campbell. He began with a century in the first match and his recent batting shows a reformed character. His two-year nightmare of steadily declining form seems to be over, and it has done him good. Against New Zealand he showed time and again remarkable self-discipline for a man so often out to flashy strokes and lapses in concentration in the past, and he is desperately keen to record a first Test century after so long, before he joins India's Chetan Chauhan (former opening partner of Sunil Gavaskar prior to Krish Srikkanth) who is presently the only man to pass 2000 Test runs without a century. I encouraged him to remember Australian Bob Simpson, who went so long before recording his first Test century that when he did reach the milestone (against England in 1964) he went on to make it 311.

There is not much current cricket in Zimbabwe, so I personally have been concentrating on updating and improving the statistical records. Detailed Test career analysis of the Flowers, Campbell and Guy Whittall have been completed in the players section with others to follow; I am currently working on Heath Streak and Paul Strang. Biographies of Andy Flower and Guy Whittall have been updated with others to follow. Ground records in Test cricket for Harare Sports Club and Queens in Bulawayo have been updated.

Also in the Archives section a complete review of the first-class season in 1969/70 has been sent to the webmaster for inclusion. That was a very disappointing season for cricket in this country, immediately after the departure of Colin Bland, with heavy defeats in all matches for a very young national side - but much better was around the corner, as hopefully it will be for Zimbabwe today after the disasters of last season. 1969/70 saw the start of the team that John Traicos believes was a far stronger side than that of today; it took experience, maturity and the arrival of Mike Procter the following year to make Rhodesia (as it was then) almost immediate challengers for the South African Currie Cup competition. It was also the year that the young all-rounder Duncan Fletcher made his debut at the age of 21. Brian Davison was also missing while spending a year qualifying to play for Leicestershire, while spinners Traicos, who played for South Africa against Australia that season, and Jack du Preez virtually carried the bowling attack, which desperately lacked a quality pace bowler. The team therefore tended to attract major innings from such opponents as Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock and Andre Bruyns, and there is the suggestion that they tended to be overawed by such players. Certainly the reverence given to Procter when he arrived the following season suggests something of an inferiority complex when faced with the greats. But often the team, captained by Ray Gripper, fought back so hard that the lesser lights in the opposition did not do well. The batting frequently collapsed, though, failing to fulfill its potential.

I will leave it to readers to decide for themselves how many of these qualities still exist in Zimbabwean cricket today.