Zimbabwe
Becoming a Test nation in 1992, Zimbabwe is one of the newest nations that has been granted the status of the test. However, it has a rich and varied history of cricket dating from the late nineteenth century.
The story (before the state test)
The first recorded cricket match played in Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia) took place in 1890 near Fort Victoria. However, first-class cricket was not played until 1905, when Rhodesia team competed in the Currie Cup in South Africa. They lost their first match by 170 runs to the Transvaal. After the 1905 Currie Cup,
Rhodesia
were not invited to compete in the tournament in South Africa again until the 1930 when he competed in two consecutive cups. That was almost the title in 1931 after losing to Western Province. After the Second World War, Rhodesia returned to the Currie Cup and continued to play regularly in the Premier League in South Africa until 1980.
During the fifties and sixties, the level of cricket in Rhodesia increased significantly with a number of strong players emerging, including Colin Bland, Mansell Percey and David Lewis, who was captain of Rhodesia between 1953 and 1964. In 1961-62 the XI International were the first team for a tour of Rhodesia Rhodesia marks move toward independence from the rest of South Africa. The seventies saw the emergence of Zimbabwe's strongest team in the history of cricket, but despite gaining about 1972 to 1973, South Africa also had a strong team that never managed to win Zimbabwe decade and Currie Cup.
Zimbabwe officially became an independent nation in 1980 and developed the Logan Cup, an independent league from the rest of South Africa. After independence, Zimbabwe started playing cricket at the international level, being elected to the International Criminal Court the following year. 1982 was an important year for Zimbabwe, see the nation to do his first tour of England followed by a triumphant performance in the ICC Trophy.
Based on his victory in the Zimbabwe Cup ICC were selected to play in World Cup 1983 Cricket World against the eight pilot countries. Expected to be the underdog throughout the tournament, surprised Zimbabwe cricket fans around the world by defeating Australia in their group opener by 30 runs. Zimbabwe continued to perform well in cricket one day winning the ICC trophy twice more to qualify for the 1987 and 1992 World Cups.
After the state test
After qualifying for the 1987 World Cup, Zimbabwe momentarily became a nation of test and the team played its first Test opener against India this year. Sports Club in Harare, the match was a draw and Zimbabwe became the first team not to lose their test match for the first time since the development of cricket in 1877. Despite their positive start, however, Zimbabwe played poorly during his first years as a Test nation, and many believed that their standard of cricket was not worthy of the status of the test, although their performance in the one-day cricket was significantly better.
At the end of the performance of the nineties had picked up Zimbabwe, winning test matches against India and Pakistan in 1998-99 and his team included a number of world class players including Andy Flower, who in his prime, was considered the best batsman in the world. At that time, the strength of the cricket team one day was marked in the inaugural tour of England in Zimbabwe during which the Zimbabwe team beat the English cricketers 3-0 in a series of one day.
In 2003 Zimbabwe co-hosted the Cricket World Cup with South Africa, but by then the political situation in Zimbabwe has begun to decline. That year, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga both wore black armbands in protest against the policies of President Mugabe and the end of the world cup players were dismissed from the team and left the country to seek asylum in other countries. In 2004, following the sacking of Heath Streak, the captain of Zimbabwe after fourteen players and minor players left the team went to play in the match scheduled test of the nation.
After a test match, particularly unbalanced, Sri Lanka, the team agreed to play does not match the test in 2004. In 2004, the situation in Zimbabwe cricket was more positive when Heath was restored line, along with several of the players who left after his dismissal. By then, however, the team had so many interruptions that their level has decreased considerably and in 2005 had marked a series of humiliations when, in a home game against New Zealand, the team became the first country since 1952, which was shot twice in one day.
In early January 2006 the political situation in Zimbabwe has worsened and the Government of Zimbabwe took over the selection process for the cricket team in the nation, resulting in all members of white and Asian Cricket Board fired due to allegations of racial agendas. That same month, the cricket board announced the team would not be playing cricket this year and the Logan Cup was also suspended because, presumably, the rules of declining domestic cricket.
Current Team
The Zimbabwe team has suffered a series of losses in recent years due to the current political crisis, but the current squad is as follows:
* Prosper Utseya
* Brendan Taylor
* Chamu Chibhaba
* Elton Chigumbura
* Keith Dabengwa
* Anthony Ireland
* Stuart Matsikenyeri
* Friday Kasteni
* Christopher Mpofu
* Vusi Sibanda
* Gary Brent
* Edward Rainsford
* Tawanda Mupariwa
* Terry Duffin
* Sean Williams
* Tatenda Taibu
Great players
Denis Tomlinson: Tomlinson represented Rhodesia in the Currie Cup, the League of First Class South Africa and became the first Rhodesian cricketer playing cricket when he represented South Africa in a test match against England in 1935.
Andy Flowers: Making his debut in the Cricket World Cup 1992, Flores played cricket in Zimbabwe for ten years and, after being fired from the Zimbabwe team because of his political protest in the 2003 World Cup, now is the assistant coach Cricket England. Flower is considered one of the world's best batsmen and wicket-keeper during his time playing Zimbabwe, who scored more runs than any player before or since.
Anthony Ireland: Considered a great all-rounder, Ireland is an average player's right arm seam and lower order batsman, who was selected for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, but left after the competition to play first class cricket England's national league.
Eddo Brandes: A member of the Zimbabwe team between 1987 and 1999, Brandes played in four World Cups, 10-game trial and 59 ODIs during his career of Zimbabwe. His most significant moment occurs in a game one day against England in 1997, when he made his famous three consecutive batters in the England team.
Becoming a Test nation in 1992, Zimbabwe is one of the newest nations that has been granted the status of the test. However, it has a rich and varied history of cricket dating from the late nineteenth century.
The story (before the state test)
The first recorded cricket match played in Zimbabwe (then known as Rhodesia) took place in 1890 near Fort Victoria. However, first-class cricket was not played until 1905, when Rhodesia team competed in the Currie Cup in South Africa. They lost their first match by 170 runs to the Transvaal. After the 1905 Currie Cup,
Rhodesia
were not invited to compete in the tournament in South Africa again until the 1930 when he competed in two consecutive cups. That was almost the title in 1931 after losing to Western Province. After the Second World War, Rhodesia returned to the Currie Cup and continued to play regularly in the Premier League in South Africa until 1980.
During the fifties and sixties, the level of cricket in Rhodesia increased significantly with a number of strong players emerging, including Colin Bland, Mansell Percey and David Lewis, who was captain of Rhodesia between 1953 and 1964. In 1961-62 the XI International were the first team for a tour of Rhodesia Rhodesia marks move toward independence from the rest of South Africa. The seventies saw the emergence of Zimbabwe's strongest team in the history of cricket, but despite gaining about 1972 to 1973, South Africa also had a strong team that never managed to win Zimbabwe decade and Currie Cup.
Zimbabwe officially became an independent nation in 1980 and developed the Logan Cup, an independent league from the rest of South Africa. After independence, Zimbabwe started playing cricket at the international level, being elected to the International Criminal Court the following year. 1982 was an important year for Zimbabwe, see the nation to do his first tour of England followed by a triumphant performance in the ICC Trophy.
Based on his victory in the Zimbabwe Cup ICC were selected to play in World Cup 1983 Cricket World against the eight pilot countries. Expected to be the underdog throughout the tournament, surprised Zimbabwe cricket fans around the world by defeating Australia in their group opener by 30 runs. Zimbabwe continued to perform well in cricket one day winning the ICC trophy twice more to qualify for the 1987 and 1992 World Cups.
After the state test
After qualifying for the 1987 World Cup, Zimbabwe momentarily became a nation of test and the team played its first Test opener against India this year. Sports Club in Harare, the match was a draw and Zimbabwe became the first team not to lose their test match for the first time since the development of cricket in 1877. Despite their positive start, however, Zimbabwe played poorly during his first years as a Test nation, and many believed that their standard of cricket was not worthy of the status of the test, although their performance in the one-day cricket was significantly better.
At the end of the performance of the nineties had picked up Zimbabwe, winning test matches against India and Pakistan in 1998-99 and his team included a number of world class players including Andy Flower, who in his prime, was considered the best batsman in the world. At that time, the strength of the cricket team one day was marked in the inaugural tour of England in Zimbabwe during which the Zimbabwe team beat the English cricketers 3-0 in a series of one day.
In 2003 Zimbabwe co-hosted the Cricket World Cup with South Africa, but by then the political situation in Zimbabwe has begun to decline. That year, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga both wore black armbands in protest against the policies of President Mugabe and the end of the world cup players were dismissed from the team and left the country to seek asylum in other countries. In 2004, following the sacking of Heath Streak, the captain of Zimbabwe after fourteen players and minor players left the team went to play in the match scheduled test of the nation.
After a test match, particularly unbalanced, Sri Lanka, the team agreed to play does not match the test in 2004. In 2004, the situation in Zimbabwe cricket was more positive when Heath was restored line, along with several of the players who left after his dismissal. By then, however, the team had so many interruptions that their level has decreased considerably and in 2005 had marked a series of humiliations when, in a home game against New Zealand, the team became the first country since 1952, which was shot twice in one day.
In early January 2006 the political situation in Zimbabwe has worsened and the Government of Zimbabwe took over the selection process for the cricket team in the nation, resulting in all members of white and Asian Cricket Board fired due to allegations of racial agendas. That same month, the cricket board announced the team would not be playing cricket this year and the Logan Cup was also suspended because, presumably, the rules of declining domestic cricket.
Current Team
The Zimbabwe team has suffered a series of losses in recent years due to the current political crisis, but the current squad is as follows:
* Prosper Utseya
* Brendan Taylor
* Chamu Chibhaba
* Elton Chigumbura
* Keith Dabengwa
* Anthony Ireland
* Stuart Matsikenyeri
* Friday Kasteni
* Christopher Mpofu
* Vusi Sibanda
* Gary Brent
* Edward Rainsford
* Tawanda Mupariwa
* Terry Duffin
* Sean Williams
* Tatenda Taibu
Great players
Denis Tomlinson: Tomlinson represented Rhodesia in the Currie Cup, the League of First Class South Africa and became the first Rhodesian cricketer playing cricket when he represented South Africa in a test match against England in 1935.
Andy Flowers: Making his debut in the Cricket World Cup 1992, Flores played cricket in Zimbabwe for ten years and, after being fired from the Zimbabwe team because of his political protest in the 2003 World Cup, now is the assistant coach Cricket England. Flower is considered one of the world's best batsmen and wicket-keeper during his time playing Zimbabwe, who scored more runs than any player before or since.
Anthony Ireland: Considered a great all-rounder, Ireland is an average player's right arm seam and lower order batsman, who was selected for the 2007 Cricket World Cup, but left after the competition to play first class cricket England's national league.
Eddo Brandes: A member of the Zimbabwe team between 1987 and 1999, Brandes played in four World Cups, 10-game trial and 59 ODIs during his career of Zimbabwe. His most significant moment occurs in a game one day against England in 1997, when he made his famous three consecutive batters in the England team.
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