Zimbabwe should be given more opportunities to play Test matches

 

The outcome was an expected one - until and unless a team like Pakistan does not trigger the self-destructive button – but the question was how Pakistan would win the first test against Zimbabwe – by making the weather heavy or in a commendable fashion. Well, in the end, the latter turned out to be true – Zimbabwe were blown away in just three days.

After winning the toss and deciding to bat first was a good call, but the Pakistani pacers had other ideas – they never let the home team settle and the lack of playing the 5-day format on a regular basis was evident in both the innings.

The absence of Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza, combined with captain Sean Williams being ruled out meant that the batting was already exposed and Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s pace made that look like a bunch of schoolboys in the first innings while in the second it was all about Hasan Ali, who steamrolled the whole unit.   

 In between, the Pakistani batters enjoyed another excellent day.

Surely, it was a sad sight for the cricket fans to witness the pathetic state of Zimbabwe in test cricket. They are one of those teams in world cricket, who, like Sri Lanka, have earned the Test status by breaking a lot of sweat, rather than being gifted in the name of globalization of cricket. While some of the lower-ranked sides continue to enjoy the blessings of big guns despite the disgraceful results in the 5day format; Zimbabwe are left in the cold – shivering and watching the turmoil in their own board and the blessings showered over the lower-ranked sides.

Indeed, Zimbabwe’s political situation played a big role in the turmoil of their cricket but which country is not digesting the turmoil - no better example could be Afghanistan, who does not play in their own backyard and still there is no proper first-class structure – but the blessings upon them shower always, which is good, because such teams need the back up to progress.

That does not mean, you forget the rest!

Cricket has lost Kenya because of the lack of attention and support it deserved, whereas, despite the setbacks, Zimbabwe are still around in the Test arena; trying hard to win the attention of the big guns that they deserve to play more Test matches against the top sides and if given such an opportunity they would not waste it like others – rather – exploit it to become better.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 01/05/2021  Zimbabwe should be given more opportunities to play Test matches

Thank You

Faisal Caesar