The state of Zimbabwe cricket
A team from Zimbabwe, called the Zimbabwe Board President's XI, recently participated in India's zonal domestic one-day tournament, the Deodhar Trophy. The team played 2 games, and lost both, to South Zone and West Zone. They failed to get past 200 in either game across 50 overs and the opponents batted for only ~ 40 overs on both occasions.
Zimbabwe have been pathetic overall for a while now, but they did display a lot of fighting spirit against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka recently. However, they haven't been good enough. Participation in the Deodhar Trophy was a wonderful opportunity for Zimbabwe's cricketers, and indeed their administration, to demonstrate that they had it in them to turn the corner.
This was a Zimbabwe BP XI only in name. The bulk of the team was filled up by familiar names from the national side (Chigumbura, Utseya, Masakadza, Matsikenyeri, Price, Dabengwa, to name a few).
Effectively, a Zimbabwe national side lost to two zonal sides from India. I daresay most Ranji Trophy teams would have also beaten, if not thrashed, them.
I have no problems with the BCCI opting to "show its support" for Zimbabwe cricket by sending the national team there for a triseries, also involving South Africa. However, I fail to understand why India's cricketers should be exposed to a cholera outbreak and a country that's pretty much dysfunctional. If there is no problem with the cholera outbreak, I hope the BCCI will use the opportunity to send India's under-19 side. There's absolutely nothing to gain by sending the side that's currently on a big-time roll.
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In the first game south zone were seven down when they won. Hardly sounds like a beating to me. It's kind of similar to a English championship team beating one of the medium national sides. It doesn't mean that national team shouldn't be allowed to play. Yeah, Zimbabwe even being recognized as a nation is a joke, and there's no way teams should go there and support that regime, but the cricketers still there that haven't been forced out by Mugabe's cronies try hard and play the game the right way and shouldn't be punished.
Also even without the national team players, there is a lot more talent in India than people realize. And Badrinath should be playing for the national side anyway. In any case those zonal teams would be a favorite over Bangladesh for sure and maybe some of the lesser Test sides also. Certainly I'd hate to see England take on West Zone right now.
By 
cricketanalysisdotcom (29 Mar 2009, 1:56:00 pm)
cricketanalysis - Admittedly, the SZ top order did get wobbly (80/5) but the last 2 wickets were when the game was already up. I'm not saying Zim shouldn't be allowed to play at all. All I'm saying is that for the series in Zim, there's no need for India's top side to go. If the whole point is to help Zim cricketers, why not play them elsewhere? Why go to Zim when the country is reeling, and tourists have a risk of cholera, etc.?
By Jagadish (30 Mar 2009, 2:50:00 pm)
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