Waller makes changes to squad
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Sunday, 30 June 2013 00:00
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Jeffrey Murimbechi ANDY WALLER, the newly appointed national cricket team coach, casts a lonely figure as his greatest test awaits him. He has inherited a team criticised in almost every aspect of the game and will be put to the ultimate test when Zimbabwe faces India, the ICC World Cup and Champions Trophy winners. He has taken a pragmatic approach to the game
— changing the norm in Zimbabwe’s strategy and taking a hard stance toughening his “soft cricketers”.
Zimbabwe has over the last five years struggled to have solid opening batting combinations and Waller says there will be changes in the squad by injecting new blood to take on the new ball as players and the coaches have agreed to play to their strengths and desired batting positions, not just their allotted ones.
“This time we will have Razza Butt opening with Vusi Sibanda — that is what we have been working on for the past five weeks. That will bring Hamilton (Masakadza) at three and Brendan Taylor to fourth.
“During the last five weeks I have been chatting to the guys to bat where they feel comfortable and Hamilton feels more comfortable at three. To me he is one of my senior players and I honour that,” said Waller.
Mash Eagles’ Razza Butt was the one who was batting at number three during the Bangladesh tour and the coach highlighted that his attacking approach will be ideal at the top of the order.
He has been the hungriest of all the players, coming from the fringe to being one of the only batters in recent years to claim an opening position. During the 2011 World Cup and tours that followed, Zimbabwe’s fielding aptitude took a major dip, drawing heavy criticism over dropped catches and poor body language.
“It has become one of my goals to become one of the best fielding sides in the world. We have been fielding every day and I am not saying that we will not drop catches or misfield, but if we do it, it will be human error at work and not lack of practice.”
After Tatenda Taibu announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last year, there have been at least three men keeping wicket.Currently the team has three competent ’keepers in camp, that is excluding Charles Coventry and Foster Mutizwa who are not part of the training squad, but they, too, can keep.
Waller has opted for Taylor as the main wicket keeper, making him one of three captains in Test-playing nations to captain while behind the wicket.“With Taylor being a quality batter who can keep, there is no point bringing in another wicket keeper. It just gives us the option of bringing in another batsman but it might be a bit different in the Test matches.”
Without Heath Streak as the bowling coach, Waller has the role and admits that the team is slightly flawed if it is to face India and its robust batting line-up.“We have identified weaknesses in our bowling in that we do not put enough balls in the right area.
“So again like we did with the fielding, we have done a bit of work. The guys are bowling four out of the five days and are doing a lot of target bowling. I am not saying the bowling is going to be perfect but I am hoping to see improvements.”
The national team has come in for heavy condemnation for not being strong-spirited enough to clinch a win after a good performance. The last time the team let themselves down was when they failed to beat New Zealand in 2012 at a time when their performance made all odds fair enough to grab a win.
Waller is known for his old school hard type of cricket which gave Zimbabwe Test status during his playing days.
“A lot of that is a result of not playing a lot of cricket and because of that we slipped up in our lack of match practice.
“One of my feelings is that we have guys who are soft and they will probably tell you that I have been telling them that every day.
“Going to the field, I want 11 tough guys who are going to out there to give it their best for their country.
“We are working on the mental side but it doesn’t change overnight,” he said.
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— changing the norm in Zimbabwe’s strategy and taking a hard stance toughening his “soft cricketers”.
Zimbabwe has over the last five years struggled to have solid opening batting combinations and Waller says there will be changes in the squad by injecting new blood to take on the new ball as players and the coaches have agreed to play to their strengths and desired batting positions, not just their allotted ones.
“This time we will have Razza Butt opening with Vusi Sibanda — that is what we have been working on for the past five weeks. That will bring Hamilton (Masakadza) at three and Brendan Taylor to fourth.
“During the last five weeks I have been chatting to the guys to bat where they feel comfortable and Hamilton feels more comfortable at three. To me he is one of my senior players and I honour that,” said Waller.
Mash Eagles’ Razza Butt was the one who was batting at number three during the Bangladesh tour and the coach highlighted that his attacking approach will be ideal at the top of the order.
He has been the hungriest of all the players, coming from the fringe to being one of the only batters in recent years to claim an opening position. During the 2011 World Cup and tours that followed, Zimbabwe’s fielding aptitude took a major dip, drawing heavy criticism over dropped catches and poor body language.
“It has become one of my goals to become one of the best fielding sides in the world. We have been fielding every day and I am not saying that we will not drop catches or misfield, but if we do it, it will be human error at work and not lack of practice.”
After Tatenda Taibu announced his retirement from all forms of cricket last year, there have been at least three men keeping wicket.Currently the team has three competent ’keepers in camp, that is excluding Charles Coventry and Foster Mutizwa who are not part of the training squad, but they, too, can keep.
Waller has opted for Taylor as the main wicket keeper, making him one of three captains in Test-playing nations to captain while behind the wicket.“With Taylor being a quality batter who can keep, there is no point bringing in another wicket keeper. It just gives us the option of bringing in another batsman but it might be a bit different in the Test matches.”
Without Heath Streak as the bowling coach, Waller has the role and admits that the team is slightly flawed if it is to face India and its robust batting line-up.“We have identified weaknesses in our bowling in that we do not put enough balls in the right area.
“So again like we did with the fielding, we have done a bit of work. The guys are bowling four out of the five days and are doing a lot of target bowling. I am not saying the bowling is going to be perfect but I am hoping to see improvements.”
The national team has come in for heavy condemnation for not being strong-spirited enough to clinch a win after a good performance. The last time the team let themselves down was when they failed to beat New Zealand in 2012 at a time when their performance made all odds fair enough to grab a win.
Waller is known for his old school hard type of cricket which gave Zimbabwe Test status during his playing days.
“A lot of that is a result of not playing a lot of cricket and because of that we slipped up in our lack of match practice.
“One of my feelings is that we have guys who are soft and they will probably tell you that I have been telling them that every day.
“Going to the field, I want 11 tough guys who are going to out there to give it their best for their country.
“We are working on the mental side but it doesn’t change overnight,” he said.
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