Zimbabwe have been an enigma at the highest level. Ever since they burst onto the scene during the 1983 World Cup with a memorable win against Australia, they have had a few outstanding moments, but have had their share of controversies as well.
They became an ICC associate member in 1981 and after their shock win against Australia at the 1983 World Cup, they continued playing in the lower divisions. They did appear in World Cups 1987 and 1992, winning against England in the latter.
They played its first Test against India in 1992 at Harare and put up a good fight. However, they never really developed into a side that could steamroll other oppositions. With the likes of Andy Flower, Heath Streak, and Neil Johnson to name a few, Zimbabwe became a competitive unit and had a few memorable successes in One-Day Internationals. Their first Test win (1995) and overseas series victory (1998) had both come against Pakistan.
Zimbabwe made it to the Super Sixes in World Cups 1999 and 2003. The slide started in 2003 when Henry Olonga and Flower wore black armbands as a form of protest against the regime in the country.
They became an ICC associate member in 1981 and after their shock win against Australia at the 1983 World Cup, they continued playing in the lower divisions. They did appear in World Cups 1987 and 1992, winning against England in the latter.
They played its first Test against India in 1992 at Harare and put up a good fight. However, they never really developed into a side that could steamroll other oppositions. With the likes of Andy Flower, Heath Streak, and Neil Johnson to name a few, Zimbabwe became a competitive unit and had a few memorable successes in One-Day Internationals. Their first Test win (1995) and overseas series victory (1998) had both come against Pakistan.
Zimbabwe made it to the Super Sixes in World Cups 1999 and 2003. The slide started in 2003 when Henry Olonga and Flower wore black armbands as a form of protest against the regime in the country.
A year down the line, there was a mass exodus of some of the leading players due to a tiff with the board. An inexperienced side was exposed in Test cricket and they withdrew from the format. It was only in 2011 that Zimbabwe came back to Test cricket by hosting Bangladesh at home.
Current Squad
The Zimbabwean cricket team ODI, Test, T20 Team List given below:-
ODI, Test, T20 Captain: Graeme Cremer
Coach: Makhaya Ntini
Name | Batting style | Bowling style | Forms |
Graeme Cremer | Right-handed | LB | Test, ODI, T20I |
Hamilton Masakadza | Right-handed | RM | Test, ODI, T20I |
Chamu Chibhabha | Right-handed | RM | ODI, T20I |
Vusi Sibanda | Right-handed | RM | Test, ODI, T20I |
Tino Mawoyo | Right-handed | RMF | Test, ODI |
Sikandar Raza | Right-handed | RM | Test, ODI, T20I |
Peter Moor | Right-handed | OB | ODI |
Charles Coventry | Right-handed | LB | ODI, T20I |
Stuart Matsikenyeri | Right-handed | OB | Test, ODI, T20I |
Malcolm Waller | Right-handed | OB | Test, ODI, T20I |
Craig Ervine | Left-handed | OB | Test, ODI, T20I |
Mark Vermeulen | Right-handed | OB | Test |
Sean Williams | Left-handed | SLA | Test, ODI, T20I |
Elton Chigumbura | Right-handed | RFM | Test, ODI, T20I |
Solomon Mire | Right-handed | RMF | ODI |
Neville Madziva | Right-handed | RMF | ODI |
Regis Chakabva | Right-handed | OB | Test, ODI, T20I |
Richmond Mutumbami | Right-handed | OB | Test, ODI |
Brian Vitori | Left-handed | LFM | Test, ODI, T20I |
Tawanda Mupariwa | Right-handed | RFM | Test, ODI, T20I |
Donald Tiripano | Right-handed | RFM | Test, ODI |
Tendai Chatara | Right-handed | RFM | Test, ODI, T20I |
Tinashe Panyangara | Right-handed | RFM | Test, ODI, T20I |
Christopher Mpofu | Right-handed | RFM | ODI, T20I |
Luke Jongwe | Right-handed | RFM | ODI, T20I |
Taurai Muzarabani | Right-handed | RFM | ODI, T20I |
Prosper Utseya | Right-handed | OB | Test, ODI, T20I |
Tafadzwa Kamungozi | Right-handed | LB | ODI |
John Nyumbu | Right-handed | OB | Test, ODI |
Tendai Chisoro | Left-handed | SLA | ODI, T20I |
Zimbabwe | |
Test status acquired | 1992 |
First Test match | v India at Harare Sports Club, Harare, 18–22 October 1992 |
Captain | Graeme Cremer |
Coach | Makhaya Ntini |
Current ICC Test,ODI and T20I ranking | 10th (Test) 11th (ODI) 12th (T20I) |
All-time best ICCTest, ODI and T20Iranking | 8 (Test) 7(ODI) (T20I) |
Test matches – This year | 99 2 |
Last Test match | v New Zealand at Queens Sports Club,Bulawayo, 6–10 August 2016 |
Wins/losses – This year | 11/62 0/2 |
As of 15 August 2016 | |
Coaching staff
· National Director of Coaching: Andy Waller
· Head coach: Makhaya Ntini
· Assistant coach: Wayne James
· Batting Coach: Lance Klusener
· Bowling Coach: Makhaya Ntini
Zimbabwe have been an enigma at the highest level. Ever since they burst onto the scene during the 1983 World Cup with a memorable win against Australia, they have had a few outstanding moments, but have had their share of controversies as well. They became an ICC associate member in 1981 and after their shock win against Australia at the 1983 World Cup, they continued playing in the lower divisions. They did appear in World Cups 1987 and 1992, winning against England in the latter. They played its first Test against India in 1992 at Harare and put up a good fight. However, they never really developed into a side that could steamroll other oppositions. With the likes of Andy Flower, Heath Streak, and Neil Johnson to name a few, Zimbabwe became a competitive unit and had a few memorable successes in One-Day Internationals. Their first Test win (1995) and overseas series victory (1998) had both come against Pakistan.
Zimbabwe made it to the Super Sixes in World Cups 1999 and 2003. The slide started in 2003 when Henry Olonga and Flower wore black armbands as a form of protest against the regime in the country. A year down the line, there was a mass exodus of some of the leading players due to a tiff with the board. An inexperienced side was exposed in Test cricket and they withdrew from the format. It was only in 2011 that Zimbabwe came back to Test cricket by hosting Bangladesh at home.
Zimbabwe made it to the Super Sixes in World Cups 1999 and 2003. The slide started in 2003 when Henry Olonga and Flower wore black armbands as a form of protest against the regime in the country. A year down the line, there was a mass exodus of some of the leading players due to a tiff with the board. An inexperienced side was exposed in Test cricket and they withdrew from the format. It was only in 2011 that Zimbabwe came back to Test cricket by hosting Bangladesh at home.
History
Before Test status
In common with all the other full members of the ICC, Zimbabwe – known as Rhodesia until independence from the United Kingdom in 1980 – had a national cricket team before it achieved Test status.
A brief summary of key moments:
· Rhodesia was represented in the South African domestic cricket tournament, the Currie Cup, sporadically from 1904 to 1932, and then regularly from 1946 until independence.
· Following independence, the country began to play more international cricket.
· On 21 July 1981, Zimbabwe became an associate member of the ICC.
· Zimbabwe participated in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, as well as the 1987 and1992 events.
Zimbabwe's first World Cup campaign in 1983 ended in the group stage, as they lost five of their six matches. However, they threw a surprise against Australia. Batting first, Zimbabwe reached a total of 239 for 6 in the allotted 60 overs, with skipper Duncan Fletcher top-scoring with 69 not out. Fletcher then produced career-best figures of 4 for 42 to restrict Australia to 226 for 7, thereby recording a stunning upset in cricket history.
1997–2002: The golden era
In the 1999 world cup group stage, Zimbabwe beat India by three runs, before facing their neighbours South Africa, then the best team in the world. Batting first, Zimbabwe made 233 for 6, with a well-fought 76 by opening batsman Neil Johnson. In reply, South Africa collapsed to 40 for 6, before Lance Klusener and Shaun Pollock scored half-centuries to reduce the margin of defeat to 48 runs. This was South Africa's first defeat against Zimbabwe and one of Zimbabwe's most famous wins. Neil Johnson also excelled with the ball, taking three wickets and claiming the Man of the Match award. Johnson quit playing for Zimbabwe after this tournament. During this period, Zimbabwe beat all Test-playing nations (except Australia) regularly. Zimbabwe beat New Zealand both home and away in 2000-2001. The team also reached finals of many multi-national one day tournaments.
2003–2004: Signs of decline
Increasing politicization of cricket, including selectorial policy, along with the declining situation in Zimbabwe disrupted the 2003 Cricket World Cup, which was jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and South Africa. England forfeited a match scheduled to be played in Zimbabwe, risking their own progress through the competition, citing "security concerns" as their reason. Zimbabwean players Andy Flower and fast bowler Henry Olonga wore black armbands, for "mourning the death of democracy" in Zimbabwe. Both were immediately dismissed from the team and applied for political asylum overseas. This public political protest caused considerable embarrassment to the co-hosts and disrupted team harmony.
Since the 2003 World Cup, with a succession of Zimbabwe's best players ending their international careers early, a new side began to develop, featuring the likes of Travis Friend, Andy Blignaut, Hamilton Masakadza, Douglas Hondo, Craig Wishart, Ray Price, Sean Ervine,Mark Vermeulen, Tatenda Taibu, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya, Dougie Marillier, and Barney Rogers. Whilst not of the same calibre of Streak, Goodwin, and the Flower brothers, this new breed of predominantly multi-disciplined players formed a solid backbone to a competitive, if usually unsuccessful, side.
By November 2005, the players were once again in dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket over political interference in the management of the game, as well as contract negotiations, and the new captain, Tatenda Taibu, resigned from international cricket. By then the team had been further weakened by the departure of the likes of Dougie Marillier, Craig Wishart and Sean Ervine, all of whom retired in protest and expressed disillusionment in the local cricket hierarchy.
An interim board was appointed as the new leading party of cricket in Zimbabwe, with Peter Chingoka appointed as the committee's head. Given Chingoka's close ties to Bvute, it was likely that the latter would continue in his post as well. Domestically, the Logan Cup – Zimbabwe's first class competition played amongst the provinces – was cancelled in 2006 for the first time since its inception over a century ago (though the Cup was not played during some of the years of the World Wars). This was widely seen as due to concern by ZC that the standard of play would be so poor as to be both not worthwhile and potentially harmful to the external image of cricket in Zimbabwe. The one-day trophy, the Faithwear Cup, was contested, and drew complaints from observers that the quality was less than club level. As well as player exodus, the main reason for this catastrophic fall in standards was put down to wrangling within Zimbabwe Cricket, where internal politics motivated the removal of the historic provinces and their replacement with revamped, newly designated provincial teams. Zimbabwe's economic collapse led to scanty attendance at games and players not receiving their salaries for long periods of time.
In a further harmful incident, ex-player Mark Vermeulen was arrested after attempting to burn down ZC's offices, and successfully destroying the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy's premises. In a nation in increasing social and economic turmoil, such facilities are hard to replace, and their loss has proven difficult to manage for a cricket administration already short of top quality facilities. One player told his team-mates that there were certain things contained in the contracts that needed clarification. He was summoned back into Bvute's office and warned that it was a take-it-or-leave-it offer: this player was later revealed to be Anthony Ireland. Another said that when he told Bvute he wanted to consult with friends, Bvute picked up the phone and called Kenyon Ziehl, the head of selection, and told him he wanted the player replaced in the squad. Unsurprisingly, the player backed down and signed.
In light of the poor state of Zimbabwe's finances, and that Zimbabwe Cricket had to borrow around US$1 million in early 2007 pending receipt of monies from the World Cup to help them over an ongoing cash crisis, the board agreed to pay match fees in US dollars. The players were to be paid US$2000 per appearance and a series of US$500 bonuses based on wickets taken and fifties scored. The maximum payment was believed to be capped at around US$8000. However, fees were not paid until June 2007 to stop the exodus and help cash flow.
Zimbabwe fared poorly in the 2007 Cricket World Cup, even failing to beat non-Test playing Ireland.
Zimbabwe upset Australia in its opening match of the Twenty20 World Championship in Cape Town, defeating them by 5 wickets. They then lost to England by 50 runs, meaning they exited the tournament at the first stage due to their net run rate being inferior to both Australia and England after Australia had beaten England in the other group match.
There was more encouraging news in October 2007, when it was announced that Zimbabwe would compete in all three domestic competitions in South Africa as part of Cricket South Africa's attempts to improve the standard of cricket in Zimbabwe.
However, their participation in the above competitions was thrown into doubt when the plans were postponed pending a Cricket South Africa board meeting. A compromise was reached late in November 2007, meaning Zimbabwe would have taken part in the MTN Domestic Championship and the Standard Bank Pro 20 Series, but not the Super Sport Series as originally planned. Instead, they played three first-class four-day games against a South African Composite XI made up of franchise and provincial players. The three games, in Paarl, Potchef stroom, and Kimberley were all won by Zimbabwe.
In between those games, they played a five match One Day International series against the West Indies, scoring an upset win in the opening match[26] before losing the series 3–1. The final match was abandoned due to rain.
Zimbabwe's performance against Bangladesh during this time was extremely poor as they lost every ODI series except one at home, including a 0-5 whitewash in 2006.
Zimbabwe also lost against non-Test playing nation Kenya very often. But in 2009, they bounced back beating their African neighbors 9-1 in ten games.
2010–2013: Return to Tests and continued financial problems
Zimbabwe won an ODI and a T20I during their tour of the West Indies. Zimbabwe reached the finals of a triangular tournament which included India and Sri Lanka. They lost their remaining matches in the year except against Ireland whom they beat 2-1 at home.
Zimbabwe started their World Cup 2011 campaign with a 91-run defeat by Australia at Ahmadabad on 21 February 2011. They then recorded a comfortable victory over Canada, before losing by 10 wickets to New Zealand on 4 March 2011. Further heavy defeats by Sri Lanka and Pakistan followed, before a consolation victory over Kenya was achieved in Zimbabwe's final game of the tournament. After these defeats, opening batsman Brendan Taylor was announced as captain of all formats on 24 June 2011, replacing Elton Chigumbura. Zimbabwe returned to Test cricket on 4 August 2011 after a six-year exile
2016- Under Ntini
Zimbabwe axed coach Whatmore and captain Hamilton Masakadza before India tour in mid 2016. Makhaya Ntini the bowling coach was given interim responsibility of coaching while previously appointed vice-captain Graeme Cremer who had missed the ICC World Twenty20 2016 was appointed stand-in captain. Lance Klusener was appointed batting coach on a full-time basis.
India toured Zimbabwe for the fourth time in about six years for a three ODI and three t20I series. Indian selectors rested most of its senior players with the exception of skipper MS Dhoni who visited the country for the first time in the decade. Zimbabwe were thrashed 0-3 in the ODI series which led to angry reactions by the fans.
