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CHEVRONS coach Heath Streaks warns that every player needs to step to the plate if the country is to qualify for the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Zimbabwe hosts the world cup qualifiers next month and there is worry that the team has been carrying some passengers of late.
Statistics show that only four players – skipper Graeme Cremer, seamer Tendai Chatara and batters Sikandar Raza and Brendan Taylor – have been performing consistently this year.
Raza is the world’s second best ODI batsman in 2018 with 340 runs at an average of 48.57.
The Zimbabwean batsman is behind Indian skipper Virat Kohli who has 558 runs from six innings.
Brendan Taylor is the fifth best batsman on 300 runs at an average of 38.50 while captain Graeme Cremer is number two on the wicket takers list with 14 wickets in eight innings.
Tendai Chatara is seventh on the wicket-takers list with 11 victims from eight innings.
The rest of the Zimbabwean players have been inconsistent and Streak is a bit worried.
“It’s good to have Zimbabweans on those statistics list. However, we need others to contribute if we are to qualify for the 2019 world cup. It’s a team effort,” he said.
There are no surprises in Zimbabwe’s World Cup qualifiers squad with the team that is in Afghanistan the outfit that the selectors have entrusted with taking the country to the world cup.
And Streak says the boys are eager to deliver and calls upon the fans to also play their part also.
“We are proud to represent our country and we promise 100% commitment towards achieving our goal.
“We hope the supporters will help us in our quest to qualify. We hope the Zimbabwe supporters will come in numbers and give us that edge over opposition in tough encounters,” Streak said.
Meanwhile, man of the moment Raza is full of belief.
“I feel it in my heart. Lance (Klusener the batting coach) has been urging us to be positive, aggressive, smart and most importantly trust the plans we have agreed on.
“Consistency will only come by trusting each other and the individual plans. Our careers are on the line so we will give our all,” he said.
Online Reporter