Zimbabwe humilated

[Whips_off_the_bails]

Zim bowled out for a record low ODI score of 35, one lower than Canada's miserable score in the world cup. Sri Lanka knocked the runs off for the loss of just one wicket in under 10 overs.

The ICC must act now not just for moral reasons, but to ensure that international cricket is not devalued.

[Mark Kidger]

Yes. The first game one had the feeling that Sri Lanka were not trying very hard (deliberately????). The second was a rout. The third, embarassing. What will the fourth and fifth be like? And this was with Sri Lanka "resting" Muralitharan...

[Whips_off_the_bails]

Cricinfo has an interview with "one of the senior Zimbabwean rebels." The mere fact that he feels obliged to give the interview anonymously is indicative of the political situation now prevailing.

[sostenurter]

The worst thing is, Australia are due to visit there soon. After Hayden broke Lara's world record against the full-strength Zimbabwe side, I thought it didn't deserve to be world record because of the weak standard of opposition. For that reason, I was pleased when Lara reclaimed it.

If Australia do end up touring Zimbabwe, someon like Hayden or Ponting (don't think Gilchrist will get a chance) could quite easily smash 450 and still leave more than enough time to win the match. That would be something that would make a mockery of the entire sport.

What on earth will it take for the ICC to act? They can't even pretend it is "just", or "only" a political issue now - the entire cricket team has been affected by it. Desmond Tutu has said England shouldn't tour - and he's hardly a white imperialist aggressor!

[Whips_off_the_bails]

Sorry, I meant to provide a link to the cricinfo interview:

'The cancer is at the heart of the board'

Excerpt:
Do you have any expectation that the letter the board wanted you to sign yesterday show they want to work towards a genuine agreement or be prepared to compromise, or do you think they are trying it on?
No, I don't think they want to address the important issues. They might be willing to change a couple of things which aren't that important, but the cancer of Zimbabwe cricket is at the heart of the board, and they won't want to change that. If that doesn't change, the policies running Zimbabwe cricket aren't going to change either. We think it's a red herring, and they're running scared because the team got thrashed the other day. Three major sponsors I understand have threatened to pull out, and there is major pressure on the Zimbabwe Cricket Union - and on us as well. It might go to court, but the guys are adamant and feel so strongly that they are willing to stick together and see out the cause. Costs may run into millions, and most of the guys can't afford that. But it looks like it might go that way, unless there is some sort of arbitration that can resolve the whole issue.

[Mark Kidger]

Originally Posted by sostenurter

The worst thing is, Australia are due to visit there soon. After Hayden broke Lara's world record against the full-strength Zimbabwe side, I thought it didn't deserve to be world record because of the weak standard of opposition. For that reason, I was pleased when Lara reclaimed it.

When one looks at the number of players that Zimbabwe have lost in the last 3 years it's amazing that they were able to compete in Australia as far as they did. Right now they woukd struggle to comete with a strong Associate member, although the team will almost certainly stage a partial recovery as some of the new players find their feet. It's hard to imagine this team even reaching Bangladesh's level though.

Originally Posted by sostenurter

If Australia do end up touring Zimbabwe, someon like Hayden or Ponting (don't think Gilchrist will get a chance) could quite easily smash 450 and still leave more than enough time to win the match. That would be something that would make a mockery of the entire sport.

It would make a mockery of the record, and depending on the margin of victory, the idea that it's a Test match. Of the sport? Was Namibia v Australia a mockery? For the Namibians it was a dream come true to play Australia and various of the team made their mark in the tournament. Showing the gap between the sides and how far Zimbabwe are from Test status may not be entirely bad for the sport.

Originally Posted by sostenurter

What on earth will it take for the ICC to act? They can't even pretend it is "just", or "only" a political issue now - the entire cricket team has been affected by it. Desmond Tutu has said England shouldn't tour - and he's hardly a white imperialist aggressor!

That one I hadn't seen. The Chief Executive of the ICC (an Australian) has made veiled threats about Zimbabwe's Test status, although the Chairman of the ICC claims that the ZCB's assurances that the whole matter is not a racial or political issue have been satisfactory. Maybe a record margin of defeat might just be the final straw...

Zimbabwe may need to go back to 2nd tier status (something like the Intercontinental Cup) for a few years. Maybe we could even see the ICC conceding "B" Test status to the top Associates from the Intercontinental Cup plus Kenya and Zimbabwe, with the most successful sides being given full Test status subject to meeting minimum requirements for infrastructure.

[Kirsty Harris]

I think that Sri Lanka approached the last game as a training exercise, and were surprised to find that however poor a side Zimbabwe are, they still were prepared to fight it out. This game, was thus taken seriouysly, and Zimbabwe were beaten to a pulp. It is quite sad to see any side reduced to this, whatever the political situation...

I agree, action has to be taken, but FOR political as well as competive reasons.

[Whips_off_the_bails]

Originally Posted by Mark Kidger

It would make a mockery of the record, and depending on the margin of victory, the idea that it's a Test match. Of the sport? Was Namibia v Australia a mockery? For the Namibians it was a dream come true to play Australia and various of the team made their mark in the tournament. Showing the gap between the sides and how far Zimbabwe are from Test status may not be entirely bad for the sport.

Well, Cricinfo's Martin Williamson actually entitles his article on the match Making a mockery of sport. I quote:

"This series might be officially sanctioned by the ICC, but Namibia's three-day game against Uganda taking place 1000 miles to the west is a far more meaningful contest. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the row between the Zimbabwe board and its players, games such as the one witnessed in Harare today devalue the record books and make a mockery of the sport. The ICC cannot sit by and pretend otherwise."

He also points out that Sri Lanka were resting three of their first-choice XI, including Muralitharan.

The match was attended by "a few hundred at best." The Zimbabwe people have turned their backs on their "team", which is on the verge of losing its sponsors. To quote Williamson again:
"After this debacle, it might occur to those responsible for some of the decision-making in Zimbabwean cricket - whether they be board or government officials - that this kind of farce does not reflect well on the country. If that doesn't, then the reports that several sponsors are on the verge of ending their association with the team might.

"But then again, under Robert Mugabe, if things go against you, you just arrange for the truth to be rewritten. "I guess the scores will be seriously adjusted when they are handed over to Mugabe's election assessors for checking," one local wryly observed. 'I'll let you know what margin they adjudge Zimbabwe to have won by!'"

[Mark Kidger]

Ok. I've been out all day and hadn't seen the Desmond Tutu article. Just to explain my reasoning, if Zimbabwe's results are so embarassing, action will have to be taken. Already the ZCU is trying to back down to some degree, although with the current political situation I don't think that the rebels dare back down at all. Suspending Zimbabwe's Test status would be a sporting sanction that might hurt, although one wonders if the majority of the population would care...

[high_on_linseed]

Ok, why dont we (England) go to Zimbabwe, but do a Man utd in the "whatever-its-called-this-year-cup", and send a team of second string youngsters. Add in John Crawley and Ed Smith just to make doubly certain we smash them to smithereens ( ;, and come home with a bunch of boosted averages and young players feeling good about themselves. Imagine Scott Newman smashing 250 off 200 balls, or Sajid Mahmood, taking 8-15! Maybe Rikki Clarke could move towards 100 wickets faster than Botham! Treat it as a training session, as make Mugabe and the Zimbabwean board look like the muppets they are.