Zimbabwe players 'not fit enough'

As the Zimbabwe squad prepares to travel to South Africa for the forthcoming Test and ODi series, Dean du Plessis, a local analyst, claimed that most players are not fit enough for the demands of international cricket.

"The majority of the players need to bulk-up, to play at the highest level," he told the Zimbabwe Standard. "Our bowlers do not benefit from the weight-load that comes with a bigger physique. The other thing is our bowlers are not consistent enough ... impressing in one match only to flop in the next. Those were our biggest let-downs in Bangladesh and unless the team improves on those, then we will be in big trouble when we tour South Africa."

Zimbabwe led the five-match one-day series against Bangladesh 2-0 before squandering that lead and losing the last three matches. Many blamed the side for not being fit enough and quite literally running out of steam when it mattered.

The Standard also quoted Nick Chouhan, a former board member, as saying that the administration lacked professionalism in its approach, making it hard for the team to function to its full potential. He cited the comments made by Richie Kaschula to the effect that the defeats were the fault of coach Phil Simmons as being a prime example.

"What Kaschula has done is highly unprofessional and deplorable," Chouhan told the paper. "They should have waited for Simmons to present his report on what transpired first and in private, rather than condemn the man in the press. You would not expect such things from a national selector."