adminDingilizwe Ntuli
Deputy Editor
NOT since 1999 have we witnessed such intense feelings of euphoria like when the Chevrons took a 2-0 lead against Bangladesh in the ODI series at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.
The hosts won the series with a match to spare.
In 1999, the senior national cricket team left the nation spellbound with some breathtaking performances to advance to the Super Six, in the Cricket World Cup, in England.
Just about every Zimbabwean became a cricket fan and young boys could be found playing the game in the dusty streets of the country’s high-density suburbs.
The current Chevrons’ performances from the T20 World Cup Qualifier, when Dave Houghton took over as head coach, reflect a glimpse of the euphoria which engulfed the nation back then.
When Houghton took over, the players’ confidence was at an all-time low, it’s like they were convinced their skills had been taken from them.
They had lost a series to Namibia and Afghanistan and no one gave them a chance against Bangladesh, who are much stronger opponents than the two.
But, somehow, Houghton has proved that coaching isn’t just about teaching players the game, but also instilling confidence in them to perform at their best.
Before his arrival, the players looked dejected with bat or ball.
Their body language screamed defeat in everything they tried to do on the field, and defeated they were, in most matches.
However, Houghton seems to have helped the players find the right mentality and they now walk onto the field with some swagger, an all-star mindset that gives fans hope.
The batsmen now show improved movement towards the ball and perform at their best.
Loss of early wickets no longer triggers a collapse like in the past, as whoever goes to the crease now puts in a lot of effort and takes personal responsibility for the team’s performance.
The players now understand that confidence can only be built by having successes and the higher the confidence, the better individual and the team’s play will be.
Now that the players look to have overcome poor performance, they now need to work on building more formidable partnerships, and not just with Sikandar Raza.
Raza is in the form of his life and while he has built match winning partnerships with different batters, the top order must now come to the party and build stands among different pairs.
Ryan Burl, Innocent Kaia and Regis Chakabva have proved that they can be the main men and only need to work on consistency.
Today they need to cement their confidence by beating Bangladesh in the last game to whitewash the Tigers 3-0 to take momentum into next week’s series against India.
Bangladesh team director, Khaled Mahmud laid down the gauntlet for the Chevrons by saying it’s a disgrace to lose to Zimbabwe.
What other motivation do the Chevrons need than to ensure Bangladesh return to Dhaka in disgrace?
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter