adminMehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO born top cricketers, batsman Sean Williams and medium pace bowler Tawanda Mupariwa have bared their thoughts on the senior national team’s participation at the 2015 International Cricket Council in Australia and New Zealand where Zimbabwe were knocked out in the group stages. The national cricketers returned home last Monday from the global showpiece where they recorded just one win over the United Arab Emirates and losses to South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and India.
In an interview with Sunday Leisure last Thursday the duo shared their thoughts on what was a forgettable trip for Zimbabwe.
Williams, appearing in his third ICC Cricket World Cup was in superb form with the bat as the tournament progressed. The left hander was the second highest run scorer for Zimbabwe after Brendan Taylor with 339 runs, at an average of 67.80, the highest score being a career best 96 against Ireland.
The 28-year-old struggled for runs in Zimbabwe’s opening fixture against South Africa with just eight as he was dismissed trying to hit off spinner Jean Paul Duminy out of the park.
He later picked up the pieces and was in top form with an unbeaten 76 runs against UAE, another 76 versus West Indies, 33 against Pakistan, 96 in the contentious fixture against Ireland and 50 runs when Zimbabwe took on India.
His left arm spin saw him finish as Zimbabwe’s second leading wicket taker in the tournament with seven wickets from the 45 overs he sent down with best figures of three wickets for 72 runs against Ireland. Fast bowler Tendai Chatara was the highest wicket taker for Zimbabwe at the World Cup with 10 wickets.
For someone who was forced to return home from the 2011 tournament in the sub-continent before it was over with a fractured thumb suffered while batting in the nets, Williams was delighted to play all the six matches for Zimbabwe this time around.
He hogged the limelight in Zimbabwe’s five run loss to Ireland. Williams was on course to record his maiden century in One-Day Internationals when he tried to clear the boundary off the bowling of Kevin O’Brien but was caught by John Mooney. Television replays were inconclusive on whether Mooney had stepped on the boundary in the process of completing the catch. Williams said the on the field umpires Paul Reiffel and Ruchira Palliyaguruge had told him that they were looking out for the front foot no ball. He was later told it was a legal delivery, but he had walked off to the changing room as he believed he was out.
It was only later that he discovered that the television umpire Joel Wilson had also tried to verify the catch by Mooney with the replays proving nothing.
“Against Ireland, the umpires told me that they were checking for the no ball after which they told me I was out. I didn’t know they were looking into the catch as well. I wanted to finish the match without taking it the last over,’’ said Williams.
Personally Williams was disappointed that he did not convert his half centuries into hundreds and the fact that his bowling was expensive.
Williams also feels Zimbabwe should have won more matches at the World Cup against Pakistan, Ireland and India.
On whether countries like Ireland had become better than Zimbabwe, Williams felt that the Irish had improved their game because their cricketers played more games.
Williams is saddened by the departure of Taylor who has put his international cricket career on hold for three years after signing for English county side Nottinghamshire on a Kolpak deal which prohibits him from playing for Zimbabwe since he will not be treated as a foreign player in England.
However, the left hander said he did not get any offers from abroad and is staying put in Zimbabwe.
For Mupariwa, it was a joy to finally make it back into the national team again. Before he was called up for the World Cup, Mupariwa had last played for Zimbabwe on 16 August 2009 against Bangladesh in an ODI in Bulawayo.
Perseverance which included recovering from knee surgery saw Mupariwa finally make a return.
Playing club cricket in England and Ireland during the off season has also contributed to making him a better cricketer.
The 29-year-old expressed gratitude to all those who had stood by him during the trying times, his coaches, teammates as well his family. He mentioned he nearly gave up on the sport when it seemed all his hard work was counting for nothing. Mupariwa was ignored by national selectors for the 2011 50 over World Cup, the World Twenty20 in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
“I had proven myself at domestic level, it was great to finally get a chance. I thank God for the opportunity I got to prove myself. There was a time when I felt like calling it quits but there were people who were there for me, Dave Houghton worked hard with me and my teammates encouraged me,’’ said Mupariwa.
On what he thought he did differently to finally get the recognition from the national team selectors, Mupariwa said there was nothing much he did, but focused on his strengths.
Despite being the fastest to 50 ODI wickets for Zimbabwe, a feat he achieved in 2008, Mupariwa was for years ignored for national duty because the coaches were looking for faster bowlers.
He revealed that he has never been an express fast bowler with his strength being an ability to find the right length and being able to deliver yorkers.
Mupariwa’s road to a return to the national team was not easy. He had to cut short his club cricket stint in Ireland to go on tour with Zimbabwe A to Bangladesh but was not selected for the senior’s visit to the same country.
He grabbed his opportunity when Canada visited Zimbabwe at the beginning of the year and made the final 15 men squad for the World Cup.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu