Positives from the Kenya game

that both the players and coaching staff are relieved that the nightmare is over.
The national team will no doubt be very proud and happy with the way they dispatched both Canada and Kenya as these sides have been tricky to deal with on the odd occasion.
What was especially encouraging to see was the freedom with which both Vusi Sibanda and Craig Ervine played with in the final match against Kenya.
Ervine, who is not known for his positive strokeplay, surprised one and all as his sweetly timed cover drives and powerful sweep shots that saw him maintain a strike rate of over 100 through out his innings of 66.
Now the most obvious argument would be that it was only against Kenya, who never looked like winning a game in the World Cup, and their bowling was below average.
The truth of the matter is that bad balls often get batsmen out and the ease in which both Sibanda and Ervine dispatched the bowling was very pleasing to see and one hopes that when Zimbabwe take on higher ranked opposition they will have the same confidence and self-belief to express themselves when given the opportunity to do so.
Self-belief was clearly lacking in the side as on many occasions it appeared that they simply gave up long before the match was over.
Having said that, it must be hard to maintain a positive and fighting spirit when you constantly find yourselves on 10 for 2 or 30 for 3 and unless you have a real class act player, you very seldom are able to recover.
The problem that now faces the country’s powers that be is.
Do we wipe the slate clean and simply continue with the coach and captain we have?
Do we keep the coach and replace the captain and if so who do we replace the captain with?
Many people are of the impression that there is only one man who will be able and who is capable of leading the country back in to Test cricket and that man would of course be Tatenda Taibu.
Another man who’s leadership skills have made people sit up and take note is Hamilton Masakadza who would no doubt be anxious to show the country and indeed the world that leaving him out of the squad may have been part of the reason why Zimbabwe always found themselves in the trouble they were.
The Metbank Pro 40 semi-finals and finals will be played this weekend after rain caused havoc in the first attempt that was meant to be held at the end of January.
What will be interesting to note is the attendance.
Even though it is free of charge will people still want to come and support the national players after the disappointment of the World Cup?
Surely the players would be lifted by big crowd support which would probably raise the standard of play considerably as is normally the case when matches are well attended.