Phil Garland deliberately wrote a provocative letter last week in order to stir up discussion, and there have been a number of strongly worded replies to it! Tongue no longer in cheek, Phil gives his true position below.ZIMBABWE CRICKETThere are numerous reasons as to why my argument that ‘Zimbabwe should lose its Test status’ is defunct, and I am hoping that any who respond can agree on these and get together and support the game. If anyone replies to my suggestion it means you have the game at heart, which is great.I would personally prefer that Zimbabwe keep its status, but there must come a time when we recognize that an underachieving side, from a small and even shrinking player base, must be downgraded. I would only like to see Zim lose its status, providing it will benefit the game in general. This is not ‘impossible’.I realize the ZCO is an apolitical newsletter and will not delve there. However, I find it interesting that most, from the Zim Government to their newspaper The Herald, from the ICC to the ZCU, etc, are very upset and are in disagreement to the fact that Andy Flower and Henry Olonga are using their sporting status to make a protest (to which I probably agree). But no-one seems upset or arguing with what they are protesting about…With the Best Interests of Zimbabwean Cricket at heartPhil Garland (Australia)PHIL GARLAND’S LETTERI have just finished reading Phil Garland’s letter with dismay and disgust.Quite what he hopes to achieve with such narrow-minded and unhelpful comments escapes me. The idiocy of the letter barely merits comment – why denigrate the state of our one-day squad and then suggest rescinding our Test status as a solution? What exactly do you hope to achieve with that step?To compare Bangladesh with Zimbabwe in the manner Phil does is laughable – Zimbabwe’s results and records speak for themselves. True we are not a giant of cricket – but we have acquitted ourselves very favourably in the short and long versions of the game in 10 short years. Bangladesh in comparison are in the midst of a 30-game losing streak that does not look like finishing anytime soon – even Canada contrived to show up the full extent of Bangladeshi strength in the game! If Test status is unmerited anywhere right now Phil Garland should look no further than Bangladesh!As for the inference that Zimbabwe has no cricketing culture – I disagree vociferously here. The ZCU are doing a great job of spreading the game through Zimbabwe – can anyone say cricket in Zimbabwe has enjoyed more reach or appeal at any time in the last 20 years? In my estimation the base of players in Zimbabwe is larger now than ever, and the youthfulness of our squad is testament to that development. That youthfulness will develop into world class, Phil, make no mistake about that!I suggest that Phil Garland get off his soapbox and shut up – it is quite obvious that the great Aussie principal of “Fair Go” does not apply to him. His letter shows him to be mean-spirited, ill-informed and his entire lack of good-will can only limit the spread of cricket beyond Australian shores.Graham van Tonder (Zimbabwe)AND SOME MORE!As on most Fridays I check the ZCU website for your next letter which is always worth a read – especially for the statistics, etc. When will the averages for the Faithwear series be updated?Mainly I writing to express an opinion about letter from Phil Garland that you posted with your newsletter. As everyone is entitled to their opinion I cannot really condemn his sentiments (though I am slightly disappointed by it).Being born post-independence I am not really au fait with the exploits of the Zimbabwean cricket team during the 80s so I again cannot debate the strengths and weaknesses of that team during that period. I, in fact only really became aware of cricket around the 1992 World Cup and the subsequent granting of Test status to Zimbabwe, but since then I have been a die-hard supporter, supporting them through thick and thin (indeed more thick than thin).However, comparing teams of different time periods is always perhaps impossible due to the differing variables affecting cricket and indeed the players during the early 1980s. Ye,s the team of 1983 was a very good team and beating Australia in our first ODI must rank as one of the major highs in the history of Zimbabwean cricket, but the rest of the performance that tournament did not quite continue in that triumphant vein. So perhapsZimbabwe only winning one or two games and only producing one upset is a trend that goes a long way back.The loss to India was very disappointing as I had also hoped for a win but I do not believe we are out of it yet and that there has not been that upset yet so I remain optimistic. To suggest that Zimbabwe should lose its Test status is a ridiculous statement – to compare Zimbabwe to Kenya and Bangladesh is an insult to Zimbabweans everywhere, especially the players, and I hope is something that is never seriously considered.Yes, Zimbabwe does not win many games but the future has to be bright, the present situation in the country excluded. The ZCU development programme is still in its infancy and in fact the first products are only now starting to come of age – the Maragwedes, Masakadzas and Taibus of this world are my age (21), if not a little younger, and they have to be given time to mature. The black players have to be given time to learn – look at West Indies and indeed India that started off with predominately white dominated sides and gradually evolved into the racial balances that they are today. And they are worthy of Test status, are they not?Cricket is a game that takes time and developing a team good enough to compete at the very highest level is a long time and hard road away, but I have every confidence that Zimbabwe will one day be up there with South Africa and Australia or whoever happens to be the top team at the time. In my opinion we are looking at 20 or 30 years’ time but we will have the trailblazers of today to thank for that, perennial under-achievers though they may be.Andries van Tonder (Derby, UK)ZIMBABWE AND TEST STATUSIn response to your invitation to comment on Phil Garland’s letter I have the following to say. Firstly we gave Bangladesh a lesson in Test cricket not so long ago (Nov 2001). Secondly we also won the corresponding ODI series in Bangladesh (clean sweep). That means we are a better Test and ODI side (I think) than Bangladesh.I accept that Zimbabwe are a far better ODI side than a Test side. I had the great pleasure a few years ago of being at Auckland International Airport whilst the third ODI was being played against New Zealand. I had given the game away after Zim were 90 for 5 (I think) chasing 273 to win. I had ended up at the airport for some reason and watched Heath Streak smash the winning runs for six over cover to win the series with more than an over to spare. It gave me great pleasure to jump up and down and create a fuss in front of many New Zealand supporters in the same area who were not impressed with my reaction.We then went on to Australia and turned a few heads there. To say we have no cricketing culture is not correct. We have produced some fine players, Graeme Hick and both Flowers to name a few. Steve Elworthy from South Africa is Zimbabwe born and educated. Also we have not had to resort to trying to ‘engineer’ results against other sides for our own good; i.e., like Australia with NZ in the 1999 World Cup and NZ getting their own back in Australia last year. I hear very few negative comments about Zimbabwean cricketers. Today for example Shane Warne was banned for a year for a drug in his system (or an agent that could mask drugs).Phil’s question was whether Zimbabwe should lose Test status. I can’t see how they could possibly lose Test status whilst Bangladesh are not as good as Zimbabwe. That Test status was hard fought for and whilst Zimbabwe give other sides the occasional hurry-up I don’t see how they can lose that status. I do however believe that unless cricket really has taken hold at a grass-root level in Zimbabwe and the results start to show that the game is doomed for this country.Trevor McIntosh (New Zealand)SHOULD ZIMBABWE BE REMOVED?I am writing in response to Phil’s letter of the last issue. I believe that such a move would be the death of cricket in Zimbabwe. I feel that many of the foundational aspects of a cricket culture are being established in Zimbabwe.Take for example the efforts of Manicaland and Midlands in promoting and supporting first-class cricket in their provinces. Development programmes are finally beginning to bear fruit. Hondo and Taibu particularly are examples of this. Taibu in particular looks to have a solid international career ahead of him. Can we not believe that others like him won’t emerge in the next few years?11 years after joining the test arena Sri Lanka were rubbish. The only player of real quality was A. de Silva. Ranatunga was useful. Three years later they beat Australia in the WC final. Zimbabwe probably won’t manage that in 2007, but the grass roots improvements are happening.On a recent trip to Zimbabwe many groups of kids were found playing cricket in the streets, the people told me that cricket was on the rise. There is hope. Thinking that Zimbabwe should be challenging the top teams regularly is unrealistic and thinking of excommunicating them would be a major step backwards for the sport. They are the ninth best team in the world. They have beaten every team in cricket besides Australia in the last few years. Unless we want to see cricket played in only eight nations we must support the development of Zimbabwe, not boycott them.James McMaster (Sydney, Australia)REPLY TO PHIL“I’m shocked”, because the statement by Phil come from a country known for its sporting ethos and character. “I’m devastated”, because of the naivety of the question.In my 16 years of romance with Zimbabwe cricket, I’ve never come across a stupid question as put up by a so called cricket fan. His comment is like as if a stranger to cricket asks for stripping of Test status from Australia just because a few of its players are racist, accustomed to sledging and use Hydrochlorothiazide and Amiloride.What to say? I offer my apology on his behalf to all Zimbabwean cricket fans. I would like to give a reply to all of his queries but at a later stage. Right now the burning topic is the future of Zimbabwe’s superheroes-Andy and Henry. I completely agree with Greg Chappell – “perhaps not even Tendulkar could appreciate the sort of pressure Andy and Henry are under in their homeland.”I just hope common sense prevails on Takashinga and let all cricket lovers pray for the genesis of an epic innings by Andy Flower amidst this adversity.Dr. Situ Phalswal (India)THE ZIMBABWE SLIDEWhat planet is Mr Garland come from? Does he even follow cricket? It seems to me that he is trying to be antagonistic. Why?Zimbabwe cricket is going through a tough time, but what is remarkable is that it is functioning at all in a country where almost everything else has ceased to function!Andy Flower has been a star, but perhaps too much has been made of his contributions at the expense of his team-mates. While they might never have the same ability as those that play for the wonderful Australian side, they are still a very competent group of cricketers. To compare them to Holland and Papua New Guinea is `downright insulting’. They have never lost a match to any ICC team and have never even lost an ODI against the other Test-playing minnows Bangladesh or Kenya. Not even close.To suggest that Zimbabwe has no cricketing culture seems to me that perhaps Mr Garland is probably rather bigoted himself. Perhaps he denies that Australia has no minority cultures such as those of the Aborigines (talk about the `evils of colonialism’) or the burgeoning Asian influence. Indeed cricket throughout the world is probably the finest product of colonialism. Yes, the cricket culture in Zimbabwe was predominantly in the white domain and hence a minority; however it has been promoted wholeheartedly by the ZCU, which despite its gutless political toadying has been excellent at encouraging grass root development. Fabulous black coaches like Stephen Mangongo and Bruce Makovah have been developing and inspiring excellent black cricketers and getting them scholarships through the ZCU to the best cricket playing schools and then on to the Academy.Players like Hamilton Masakadza, Tatendu Taibu, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Alester Maregwede, Blessing Mahwire, Vusi Sibanda and others are testimony to the development program. Several played with distinction at the recent Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, where Taibu was I believe player of the tournament. He is an excellent young prospect as is Masakadza who scored a hundred on debut against the West Indies. Do you want to deny these young men the chance to develop their skills and talents on the bigger stage? It took Andy several years of development to become the player he is today.Add to these players the likes of Henry Olonga, Muleleki Nkala, Doug Hondo, Mpumelelo Mbanagwa and the late Trevor Madondo, who have come from slightly different backgrounds and have generally had white coaches like Peter Sharples, Ian Kemp, Mike Whiley, Dave Fleming, Richard Harrison and others who have devoted themselves to the services of cricket in Zim.Of course the cricketing culture of white Zimbabweans is very strong and despite their small numbers have produced some remarkable cricketers who have performed excellently on the world (or county) stage such as Graeme Hick, Duncan Fletcher, Dave Houghton, Kevin Curran, Brian Davison, Paddy Clift, John Traicos, Trevor Penney, Neil Johnson et al. Current senior white players such as Grant and Andy Flower, Heath Streak, Guy Whittall, the forgotten Stuart Carlisle, Paul and Brian Strang and Alistair Campbell have carried their torch admirably.And don’t forget Murray Goodwin. Before you claim all his success, you would do well to note that he was a prodigious scorer of runs in primary school in Zimbabwe, and was already being talked about in the same hushed tones as Graeme Hick when left for Australia aged 13. His older brother Darrell and been a Zimbabwe cricketer before him. It took a highly acclaimed stint in Zimbabwe for him to establish himself on the Australian scene. It seems to me that too many excellent Australian cricketers slip through the net as Murray nearly did.The young guns like Doug Marillier, Mark Vermeulen, Travis Friend, Andy Blignaut, Brian Murphy, Neil Ferreira, Barney Rogers, Chuck Coventry, Sean Ervine, Raymond Price, Richie Sims, Campbell Macmillan, Gavin Ewing, Terry Duffin, etc., many who have benefitted from Academy training, and the perennial underachievers like Craig Wishart, Gavin Rennie, Dirk Viljoen, Trev Gripper and Craig Evans, together provide more depth and experience to Zimbabwe cricket than it has ever seen before.The revamped Logan cup and excellent Faithwear one-day tournament have been rescheduled and timed to include the likes of the Test players as far as possible and have been instrumental in bringing on young cricketers and giving them some experience of the longer purer game. Would you have them abandon that quest by denying them Test status?The ZCU has got most things right. They have had in some excellent coaches (mostly Australian) and managed to send players to SA and Australia to benefit from the likes of Rice, Lillee et al. They do not always get selection right – one of my bugbears – Where are Campbell and Carlisle? What is Ebrahim doing in the squad? Why is Mbangwa continually sidelined?, etc. They are a little autocratic and overbearing, claiming too much power over players and being poor communicators, but then again that is probably endemic in cricket administration with idiots like Malcolm Speed running the ICC (What a horlicks of an organisation that is!!!!!).Perhaps best of all Zimbabwe cricket has the tireless John Ward to promote them. Whatever they pay you, John, it is not enough!Zimbabwe is in danger of imploding and with it all that is good about Zimbabwe such as cricket may be lost. However there still is hope that regime change and better days are around the corner. In these circumstances cricket can be promoted among the black population without any `anti-colonial’ prejudices from the ruling party.While Bangladesh may have a cricket culture in the stands, it is a pity that they do not have any noticeable cricketing culture on the field! It is one of the biggest mistakes of the mal-administered ICC to promote them before their time, and it has done their cricket no good whatsoever having them playing Test cricket before they have mastered the first-class game. It was like many ICC decision based entirely on potential profit (what a sickeningly overtly commercial grubby affair this World Cup has been – I wish them every success – not!).Yet in all this there are bigger things than cricket. Aids and political persecution in Zimbabwe are what we should being talking about. Despite all their hard work and my lifelong support pf Zimbabwe cricket, I firmly believe the World Cup should not have taken place in Zimbabwe. While it may have kept Zimbabwe in the international spotlight, the gutless political toadying and money-grabbing of Chingoka, Hogg, Speed and the unspeakable Bacher have brought cricket into disrepute!Thank God for my heroes Andrew Flower and Henry Olonga for attempting to rise above the mire and to the England cricket team for their stand, however confused and misguided they were.Mr Garland, you are pathetically misinformed, misguided and unhelpful. Don’t base your judgement on the short term. Do some research and look to the future. Do the names Waddington Mwayenga and Brendan Taylor mean anything to you? Perhaps they should before you make sweeping judgements. Shame on you for condemning the tireless efforts of numerous people over the years. What have you ever done in your life?Roy Jones (UK)SHOULD ZIM LOST TEST STATUS?In my opinion Zimbabwe should not lose Test status. Although I agree that the Zimbabwean team has been becoming weaker since the last World Cup and it relies heavily on Andy, I do believe progress is being made. The progress is at a grass-roots level and the development level.I lived in Zim for 15 yrs and a noticeable change to me before I left was the amount of children playing cricket. Zim IS developing a cricket culture! This can only help Zim cricket. The Academy is producing more cricketers every year and this should strengthen the domestic cricket in the country, giving the national team more depth.However these things take time to come through on the international stage. If Test status is removed the young players we are depending on will be forced to find another career as their dream of playing cricket as professionals will surely be gone.Richard McKinney (Ireland)WORLD CUP SELECTIONSI am still hopeful about Zim’s entry into the Super-Sixes. It is not such a tall order if only Zim does the basics rightly and avoids its strange selection policies. The team selected must be the best one – Marillier should come in place of the strangely-persisted-with Ebrahim, and Friend must come into the team in place of Hondo. Zim’s bowling is always going to be weak; so the best strategy is to strengthen the batting. Friend may not differ much compared to Hondo in bowling BUT he adds an attacking dimension to the team and can be very useful at no. 5 or no. 6, as the position demands.I am under no illusions that for Zim to do even something ordinary, Andy Flower has to do something extraordinary. If he continues to be out of his element, Zim has only a chance of humiliation all around. But if he fires in a big way, Zim can easily beat Australia.Ankur Agarwal Vijay (Baroda, India)COLIN BLANDI have just read the article on Zimbabwe Cricket Online re Colin Bland. It mentions him giving a fielding exhibition while touring England. In August 1965 I was fortunate to be at the St Laurence Cricket Ground at Canterbury, Kent when Kent played the visiting South Africans. I was 11 years old and was taken to my first cricket game by my elder brother (aged 15) on the promise that I would behave and not ask to come home early.It was a game that had everything. Mick Macaulay took a hat trick (the only one I have ever seen live), Graeme Pollock scored 203 not out, Alan Knott missed a stumping (a very rare event in his career) and Colin Bland gave a field demonstration. I don’t know if that is the exhibition your writer mentioned but it was a marvellous performance & I can still remember it.The St Laurence ground is one of only two in the world that has a tree within the boundary (I believe that the other is in Sri Lanka) and during his innings Pollock hit a six over the tree. Nearly 40 years on and I still have the scorecard and I have never witnessed a game of cricket like that one.Angela McKay (England)Reply: Actually, as those who have been able to watch the World Cup on television will know, the other ground with a tree inside the boundary is Pietermaritzburg in South Africa.GO FOR IT, ZIMBABWE!At this moment I am proud to see Zimbabwe putting up a performance like the one against Australia. We still have a lot to do but it’s a start when you can put up the highest total against the world champions (so far) in the World Cup. Well done, boys, but keep pegging away and the results will come against teams not as clinical as the Aussies (everybody else).I would also like clarification as to whether Andy himself has stated that he wants to retire from international cricket or is the press fabricating things as usual?As for what Phil said about us losing our Test status, that just sounds like he had nothing better to write and decided to take a swipe at an improving team. Remember a lot of the team is still very young and it takes time to build a really good team, but I am hopeful that we will get there in the not too distant future. Keep it up.Sibusiso Nkomani (Belgium)Reply: At present Andy Flower refuses to divulge his future.ZIMBABWE v AUSTRALIA: REFLECTIONSZimbabwe got close last night but not quite close enough. Once again the early bowling from Zimbabwe was ordinary to say the least. Pommie Mbangwa was commentating on the match but I think he should have been out in the middle bowling.They really are not far off being a very decent team, a strike bowler would be very handy. I don’t think there is that much wrong with the batting. I often wonder if Guy Whittall is ever going to get a decent score again; I can’t remember the last time he actually made a decent score in an international match.Blignaut is a real find and I can’t wait to see him in action when Zimbabwe venture out here soon. If Zimbabwe play like they did last night, they can beat Pakistan but as you said, the Pakis have that psychological edge over Zim after the one-day series late last year.Michael Shepherd (Australia)A FLIPPER FROM MUTARE LADSThey hosted Zimbabwe at the Manchester Commonwealths and Sydney Olympics. No problems whatsoever. Now when Zimbabwe is co-hosting the biggest stage of cricket, they are found wanting.The latest statement by Matt Hayden – “We have a responsibility to play right across the world”, can only make you laugh. They must learn something from Zimbabwean kids who made a very impressive journey. The lads from Hillcrest College in Mutare, not deterred from the problems in their famine-threatened country, even overcame a petrol shortage and travelled 1500 km down to South Africa for their planned two-game tour. In fact one of the boy’s mothers drained the fuel from her own car so that they could travel. The boys didn’t disappoint either and won two out of two before living a little dream of bowling to Lehmann and Bevan at the indoor nets in Potchefstroom.Well, that’s the spirit of cricket, let your character do the talking and not your mouth. A huge poster in Zimbabwe read “It’s time for cricket in Zimbabwe”. So, Mr. Hayden, will you keep quiet?Dr Situ Phalswal (India)