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THE records will reflect that during the year 2024, India finally managed to cross the line and clinch their first T20 World Cup title in 17 years when they beat South Africa recently in Bridgetown, West Indies.
With a population of 1,4 billion people, India is a cricket-crazy nation.
The sport is more like a cult, and the Asian country naturally went into delirium when Rohit Sharma and his men won the World Cup following an unbeaten run.
In fact, India had until their on-going tour to Zimbabwe, gone on a 24-match unbeaten run.
Zimbabwe would be the first nation to hand the sub-continent giants their first defeat of the 2024 calendar year.
The Chevrons’ victory in the opening T20 international of their five-match series last weekend was their 15th win in 88 meetings with India in all formats.
It should be acknowledged that this was an entirely different Indian side to the one that had won the T20 World Cup final in Bridgetown a week earlier, but in sport there is an adage which reads “a win is a win”.
It is the result that is remembered, more than the names of the men and women who would have achieved.
What is most important for Zimbabwe, however, is not the solitary win over the newly-crowned World T20 champions but the crucial lessons to be drawn from how the Indians go about their cricket business.
As the two teams get ready to face off again at Harare Sports Club today and tomorrow, both Zimbabwe and India find themselves on the cusp of a new era.
For India, the glow of their World Cup conquest is fast fading as the reality starts sinking in.
That reality includes the fact that skipper Rohit Sharma and veteran Virat Kohli have retired from T20Is.
Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach has also ended.
They could soon be joined by the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin in retirement.
But to their eternal credit, India seem to have a well-worked out succession plan, anchored on a strong development system that ensures there is a flawless change of the baton from one generation to the next.
India have an exciting crop of young batters, most of whom have learned the best habits of T20 batting at their IPL franchises.
In contrast Zimbabwe, who recently welcomed new coach, Justin Sammons of South Africa, have a host of players who are in the twilight of their careers.
Players such as Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Tendai Chatara are all on the wrong side of the 30s and nearing retirement.
And Zimbabwe do not have the kind of luxury that India enjoy to completely change their team.
For instance, after numerous injuries and at the age of 33, Tendai Chatara’s mere presence in the team is indicative of the absence of a proper succession plan.
Not since the 2004 Zimbabwe Under-19 team has there been visible progression from age-group cricket to the senior side.
Granted there were some extenuating circumstances that precipitated that graduation, the Under-19 team of 2004 saw the likes of Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Tinashe Panyangara, Ed Rainsford, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya and Sean Williams went on to have average successful senior international careers.
Two of those players in Ervine and Williams are still active while the age-groups teams that have come in since then, hardly ever got a proper shake.
Zimbabwe Cricket have a list of about 25 players currently contracted for the national team and this, rather than incentivise them to work harder, has created some lethargy and laziness as their places in the Chevrons are more or less guaranteed.
ZC must revisit their selection criteria as a means to thin the herd and make sure only those deserving get a contract.
Chatara spends more time on the shelf than on the field of play and the fact that he still possesses a contract doesn’t sound fair to other fit and performing players.
With Zimbabwe expected to co-host the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2026, alongside Namibia, and 2027 Cricket World Cup together with South Africa and Namibia, it time for ZC to put their house in order.
The cricket body must pay more attention to age-group teams now, identify talent and make sure they have a side ready to face the challenge, come 2026.
The Chevrons need to start preparing for life after Williams, Ervine and Raza and the Indians can whisper one or two critical tips to ZC on the sidelines of their tour.
There is also need for ZC to strengthen the local franchise system and give such younger players like Dion Myers, Jonathan Campbell and Brian Bennett more games as they also represent the future of the sport.
Planning is also important and the manner in which Antum Naqvi was brought in shows ZC’s weaknesses in that aspect.
A top-order batter, Naqvi boasts of a strike rate of 146.80 in seven T20 matches and the 25-year-old’s selection into the Chevrons was inevitable.
It, however, boggles the mind how he is selected for the India tour when his papers are not yet ready.
He is of Indian and Pakistani descent but was born in Brussels before moving to Australia when he was four.
Naqvi, however, now qualifies for Zimbabwe. ZC should cast their net wider and identify a core of young players to guarantee continuity in the senior team.
Online Reporter