Zimbabwe announce World Cup squad

Zimbabwe have announced their 30-man squad for the coming World Cup competition. The players named can be perhaps divided into the following categories, with numbers in brackets referring to the number of official one-day caps they have to date:

Batsmen (* possible openers): *Alistair Campbell (184), *Stuart Carlisle (98), *Charles Coventry (0), *Dion Ebrahim (36), Andy Flower (202), *Hamilton Masakadza (3), *Stuart Matsikenyeri (2), Barney Rogers (2), *Mark Vermeulen (4), Craig Wishart (69).

Batting all-rounders: Guy Croxford (0), Craig Evans (53), Grant Flower (189), Doug Marillier (32), Gavin Rennie (36), Guy Whittall (141).

Pace-bowling all-rounders: Andy Blignaut (15), Gary Brent (39), Sean Ervine (13), Travis Friend (37), Blessing Mahwire (0), Mluleki Nkala (35), Heath Streak (149).

Pace bowlers: Douglas Hondo (10), Waddington Mwayenga (1), Henry Olonga (45).

Spin-bowling all-rounders: Gavin Ewing (off - 0), Brian Murphy (leg - 23), Richie Sims (off - 2).

Wicket-keeper/batsman: Tatenda Taibu (17).

Most notable omissions: Trevor Gripper (5), Pommie Mbangwa (29), Raymond Price (2), Dirk Viljoen (53).

The captain named is Heath Streak, currently recovering from an injury sustained in a road accident in the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka.

All the 19 players who took part in the recent one-day series against Pakistan have been included; it would have made a nonsense of selection policy otherwise.

Three `middle-aged' players who have recently been ignored by the selectors have been included in the list: Stuart Carlisle, Gavin Rennie and Craig Wishart. Rennie and Wishart fall into the category of players who have been in and out of the side for a number of years, achieved considerable success at times, but were never given an extended run in the side as, for example, Alistair Campbell was. Both still have much to offer Zimbabwe cricket, but whether they will make the final cut is perhaps doubtful. I think both could play a very useful role if shown confidence by the selectors. Carlisle is a player who was given an extended run, but lack of form at the start of the season cost him his place against Pakistan.

The most comment, therefore, is perhaps to be made concerning the omissions, especially those of Pommie Mbangwa and Raymond Price. Mbangwa played this year in India and the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka and did a steady job, with some useful wickets in India. He has the accuracy that many other bowlers lack, if not the pace, and it is a very questionable decision to leave him out of a list as large as 30.

Price it seems is to be considered a one-day specialist. Dave Houghton, while he was a selector last season, said the reason for his omission was that the selectors did not want him to lose his attacking loop and flight to push the ball through flatter in the one-day game, citing an example a couple of years earlier when that had happened, and it had taken Price some time to recover. But Price is now a more mature player and may be able to handle the two forms of the game more effectively. He did play in Sri Lanka without doing himself damage, so it might have been worth a trial or two to see if he can now combined Test and one-day cricket.

Trevor Gripper is another player who has been around for two or three seasons but has been excluded. He was regarded as a specialist Test player, but now cannot make the Test team, although his form has been inconsistent this season rather than bad. He is a more attacking player than he used to be, but it was still unlikely that he would make the final cut, especially since his off-spinner's bowling action is being called into question for legality.

Dirk Viljoen is another who might be considered unlucky. He has been a useful enough all-rounder to play in 53 one-day internationals, but lost his place more than a year ago. He has not been in the best of form this season, but his batting skills and flat, tight off-spin might have been worth considering.

There are four young uncapped players in the squad, one of whom, Blessing Mahwire, has already played a Test match, although once again it seemed the selectors had plunged a promising youngster in at the deep end before he was ready. He is a useful all-rounder, but probably not international material yet.

Gavin Ewing of Matabeleland is untried at international level, but could well be a surprise choice and perhaps deserves a trial. He can hold his own both as batsman and bowler, and his century on first-class debut last season seems to indicate a good temperament.

The other two are recent Academy graduates, Charles Coventry and Guy Croxford. Coventry, a classy batsman but with limited experience, was taken to India earlier this year just for the experience, while Croxford is a talented attacking batsman who can also bowl medium-pacers.

The pace bowling department would appear to be the selectors' greatest worry for the World Cup. Heath Streak, although apparently past his best, will hold the attack together as long as he is fit. Of the rest, Henry Olonga, Douglas Hondo and Andy Blignaut are a good trio of attacking bowlers, although inclined to be inaccurate. This may be less of a handicap with Streak playing, but there is still a need for a seamer who can put a brake on things. With Mbangwa not considered barring a last-minute change of heart (still theoretically possible), Gary Brent is the only real candidate for this role.

This ignores Travis Friend, a fine all-rounder whose bowling still does not quite measure up to international standard but whose batting ability would make his exclusion when fit an embarrassment. Mluleki Nkala could also be considered potentially one of this group, but he needs to regain bowling form. Perhaps a trifle cynically, the likelihood of all of Streak, Olonga, Hondo, Blignaut and Friend all being fit at the same time is not very great.

And yet when one looks at names like these, and the talent behind them, one wonders why Zimbabwe should have any problems in the seam bowling department at all. Perhaps some of them need to concentrate a little more on accuracy without losing their striking power, which is possible - but the key issue is indeed fitness. In the second one-day international against Pakistan, all five of these bowlers were unfit. Only in the last match were even three of them able to play together, and it is no surprise that this was the only occasion Pakistan did not have it all their own way with the bat - even though Hondo and Friend were a little rusty.

The top-order batting is something of a concern, with early collapses taking place in three of the five ODIs against Pakistan. But each time the situation was rescued by some outstanding batting from the middle order and the all-rounders - only for them to fail in the final ODI when ironically the top order did succeed for once and give the team a sniff of victory.

Grant Flower performs a vital role in the team as a batsman who is also the side's most economical bowler, zipping through his ten overs usually and putting a brake on the scoring. The other spinners might not get a look-in if the seamers remain reasonably fit. And the batting of wicket-keeper Tatenda Taibu is now a major asset to the side.

We have the makings of a very useful, competitive squad there. If only they would remain fit and play to their potential!