Test cricket is back!

match at Harare Sports Club.
After six years of sidelining themselves from the longer version of the game, Zimbabwe play their first Test match at home against the Asian country.
The last time Zimbabwe played a Test match was against India in September 2005 at the same venue and their resumption also comes against a sub-continent opponent.

Led by head coach Allan Butcher, the Zimbabwe technical side has been highly confident in the build up to the game and the players are convinced that they will come out with a positive result, but it could be tough for the hosts.
Of course, Zimbabwe XI posted a shock four wicket win over Bangladesh in a three-day warm-up game at the Country Club this week without some of their key and more experienced players but the real test is here now.

History has favoured Zimbabwe against Bangladesh as four of the hosts’ eight wins have come against the visitors in their 15 years of Test cricket.
But coming from a six-year break from Test cricket, this will be a tough assignment for Zimbabwe while Bangladesh have not played Test cricket in a little over a year due to scheduling issues.
It will be interesting to note that the hosts are more than glad to get back to the “real cricket” and a few jitters are expected from the Zimbabwe players. But in their last 10 years before withdrawing from Test cricket, Zimbabwe were not a good side, losing seven times by an innings and once by 10 wickets.

Between December 2001 and 2005, Zimbabwe won only once and lost 21 matches including 13 by an innings.
The years between October 1998 and November 2001 were Zimbabwe’s best times in the game, winning six Tests including two over India and a victory over Pakistan in Peshawar.
Following their impressive Test debut against India in 1992, Zimbabwe went into a form slump, losing four of their next five Tests.
However, they salvaged some pride by drawing the final Test in Pakistan and the three home Tests against Sri Lanka.

Grant Flower’s double century and Heath Streak’s nine-wicket haul stunned Pakistan by an innings and 64 runs in Harare in January 1995.
Zimbabwe proved to be a strong side in home conditions as they registered consecutive Test wins over Pakistan and India in 1998.

After three crushing defeats against Australia and South Africa, they squandered a wonderful opportunity to win a Test against the West Indies when they were bowled out for 63 while chasing a paltry target of 99.

Between April and June 2001, Zimbabwe won three out of four Tests including a four-wicket win over India at Harare to square the series 1-1.
However, Zimbabwe’s successful run came to an end through the premature retirements of Andy Flower, Alistair Campbell and Henry Olonga, which left them with a seriously depleted squad.

And that is all history now, as there are a lot of changes that have happened over the last six years.
Grant Flower is now back as the Zimbabwe batting coach, his brother Andy is now the England national team coach, Alistair Campbell is now the chairman of the Zimbabwe cricket selection panel while Streak is the Zimbabwe bowling coach.

Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor rightly said that Bangladesh do not know what to expect from his side as they have been away for a long time.
Batsman/wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu is the most experienced player in his side with 24 Test caps, leading the other seven players that have had a flirtation with the longer version of the game.

The wicket-keeper made his Test debut in July 2001 when Zimbabwe took on the West Indies in Bulawayo and he also featured in the last Test match Zimbabwe played in 2005 when they hosted India at Harare Sports Club.

Taylor has 10 caps under his name while off-spinner Ray Price has taken 69 wickets from eight Tests, becoming the second most experienced player in the Zimbabwe side.
Coach Butcher believes his side is well prepared as they have been concentrating on fitness since May while the matches against South Africa A came in handy.
“The team is very well-prepared. We have had a fitness programme since back in May and we had extensive match practice from the matches against the South Africa A side.

“We’ve had good variety in terms of the experience we’ve gained and the match preparation we’ve had, so I’m very confident that we’re fully prepared and ready for the challenge on Thursday (today),” said Butcher.

Chairman of the Zimbabwe cricket selection panel Alistair Campbell justified his selection, saying the side has quality but would need more play time to get back into form.
“We are very ready for it because we have experienced players like Tatenda Taibu, Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Brendon Taylor and Elton Chigumbura.
“These are the players who should carry us through and again we have seen younger players like Brian Vitori doing well.

“I am sure this young man has a lot to offer,” said Campbell.
But Zimbabwe has been used to the limited overs game, having played mostly one-day internationals over the past six years and Campbell said this has also seen them changing the attack.

“Test match cricket and one-day cricket are totally different and when you play Test cricket in normal conditions you’re always going to be looking to play your extra seamer rather than your extra spinner.

“We’ll still have a look at the wicket on Thursday morning and see what we think it’s going to do.
“It is a bit of a foreign concept for us because we’ve become used to playing a spin-based attack because all of our games have been one-day cricket, but we started thinking about it a long time ago.
“We knew that this would come about, so for the past six months we’ve been thinking about which seamers would be in the frame.
“We’ve got four here and Elton, and those are the guys who’ve shown that they’re best-equipped to deal with the rigours of Test cricket,” he told the media.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Cricket yesterday expressed its concern and regret over the comments made by former captain Taibu who came public about the state of affairs in the local game on Tuesday.
In a Press statement, Zimbabwe Cricket said so many people have worked tirelessly and selflessly to rebuild cricket in this country throughout an extremely difficult, economic period “and for Taibu to claim that their collective efforts have been worthless – and that nothing has changed – is dispiriting in the extreme.”

“We would like to address every one of Tatenda’s grievances as soon as the Test match (against Bangladesh) is over – and those of any team member.
“In the meantime, we would like to announce that we have already started the process of improving our mechanisms for communication whereby the players will be able to speak to the administrators and express their concerns in a clear and forthright manner, and without fear of repercussion or reprisal.
“We are happy to involve a third party as a players’ representative and, indeed, an independent mediator. We would like Tatenda to participate in this process.
“And while the ICC’s chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, is here to witness our return to Test cricket, we will be extending an invitation for him to talk to our players.”

Zimbabwe Cricket also said that the timing of Taibu’s comments were unfortunate, “if not a little cynical”.
They said in any other country a senior player could expect significant sanction from his board for such a public outburst.
“But we see little point in doing that and wish him the very best in the Test match (against Bangladesh). He is one of our finest cricketers.

“Neither Tatenda nor any of the other national players have ever not been paid their monthly salary. Match fees, paid over and above salaries, have been deferred from time to time while cash-flow improves with our return to international cricket.
“Tatenda is in an extremely privileged position and his monthly salary places him in the top one percent of the population.

“There are many thousands of people less well off than Tatenda who could be seriously harmed by his comments.”
Zimbabwe Cricket said the sport was not “dying” in the country.
“We are still building, but every aspect of the game, from the numbers of professional players to the interest from sponsors, shows a graph on the way up. And we are all committed to further growth and success.

“We now hope to focus on an extremely exciting season ahead.”

Squads
Zimbabwe
Brendan Taylor (captain), Regis Chakabva, Elton Chigumbura, Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Keegan Meth, Christopher Mpofu, Ray Price, Vusi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu, Prosper Utseya, Brain Vitori.
Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Rubel Hossain, Nazmul Hossain, Shahriar Nafees, Robiul Islam, Shuvagoto Hom, Nasir Hossain.