The performance of Zimbabwe men's cricket team has been nothing short of atrocious over the last few years, and that’s being polite. Zimbabwe’s latest Test series defeat to South Africa has sparked another toxic debate on social media, and in familiar fashion, this discourse is centered around team selection.
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| Zimbabwe during the recently concluded Test series against South Africa at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. [Image: Zimbabwe Cricket] |
The Chevrons’ 2-0 loss to a depleted South African side marks their fourth consecutive Test defeat, following earlier losses to England at Trent Bridge and Bangladesh. To date, Zimbabwe has managed only a single win this year: a narrow three-wicket victory in Bangladesh.
A large portion of the fanbase, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), has blamed "poor" selection as the root cause of these disappointing performances. Some of the more extreme claims have gone so far as to suggest that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) bases its selections on racial and tribal lines – with the infamous 'quota' system being tout
As fans, when your team suffers such relentless beatings, it’s only natural to start pointing fingers, and inevitably, everyone wants to know what exactly is going wrong?
Among the louder sections of the fan base, a narrative has emerged: that the primary origin of our decline lies in politics; specifically, that national team selection is driven by a quota system allegedly influenced by ZANU-PF linked interests. The claim suggests that player picks are based on race, political or local team affiliations, not merit. Some have even turned to the ICC, accusing the global governing body of turning a blind eye to what they see as politically orchestrated rot.
But the truth is that there is minimal, if any verifiable evidence at all, backing up these political interference claims. What is undeniable, however is that Zimbabwe simply does not have enough high quality players to compete at top international levels.
It's not a qouta system. Just cast a glance at the talent pool ...
In any team sport, be it cricket, football, basketball, you name it, the most fundamental ingredient to success is talent. Everything else, from tactics to coaching to team spirit, player mentality comes after. You need a large enough pool of skilled players. There is no running away from that fact. From there, you pick the best, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and build a system that maximizes those strengths while hiding the flaws. You can’t shortcut that process.
Selection controversies are not unique to Zimbabwe. English fans recently questioned the selection of Ollie Pope over the exciting Jacob Bethell, while some in the Indian fanbase have criticized the inclusion of Karun Nair. In global cricket, these debates are common. Nothing out of the ordinary about them.
However, in Zimbabwe’s case, selection is not the root problem. It is always easy to apportion blame to selection processes, but we really need to scratch beyond the surface. The overall quality of the playing personnel is significantly lower than that of top-tier international sides.
Head coach Justin Sammons has already acknowledged this, stressing the urgent need for upskilling if Zimbabwe is to compete at the highest level. This is a long-term developmental challenge—not something that can be fixed through selection alone.
And ... sometimes domestic numbers don't mean much
Yes, we see local players posting solid numbers in the Logan Cup or Pro50 Championship. But there’s a huge leap between dominating against Tuskers or Rhinos and facing Jasprit Bumrah or Kagiso Rabada. This is where many fans lose the plot; assuming stats at domestic level mean someone is “ready” for international cricket.
They’re not. At least, not yet.
There’s also a misunderstanding of how high-performance sport works. You can’t just plug in new names and expect wins.
If the overall talent level isn’t world class, no amount of coaching, selection changes, or motivation speeches will fix that.
Oh, evidence of the quality gap? Well, look at Zimbabwe A
If anyone still needs proof of how thin our talent pool really is, they only need to look at our Zimbabwe A tour of South Africa in 2023. They were comprehensively outplayed by a South Africa Emerging XI, many of whom were young, uncapped, or even university level cricketers.
• In one four-day match, Zim A was bowled out for 114 and 204, while SA Emerging posted 426/7 declared in their only innings.
• In another match, Zim A managed 287 and 190, while SA Emerging chased the target with 265 and 213/2, winning comfortably.
• In limited overs, Zim A was bundled out for 94 in one game, with South Africa Emerging chasing the total inside 15 overs.
2024 SA Emerging tour of Zimbabwe
In the two-match first-class series, Zimbabwe fielded a side with several full internationals, including standout all-rounder Antum Naqvi. Yet, they were comprehensively outplayed by a South African Emerging team packed with domestic players and even some university-level talent.
1st Unofficial Test: South Africa Emerging won convincingly.
2nd Unofficial Test: Despite Zimbabwe posting 399 and 217/4, they could only secure a draw. South Africa had earlier racked up 595.
Even though Zimbabwe won the unofficial ODI series 2–1, including a thrilling three-run win in the second match, the structural problems were evident. Winning one day games on home turf against an Emerging side might feel like progress, but it’s hardly a benchmark for proper international readiness.
So, what now?
Fixing Zimbabwe cricket won’t start with replacing selectors or blaming conspiracies. It has to begin with acknowledging the real problem: a thin talent pool, and a domestic system that’s miles behind what the international game demands.
The heavy defeats to England and South Africa should not be used as an excuse to overhaul the selection system, but rather as an opportunity to reassess Zimbabwe’s standing as a cricketing nation and identify gaps in player development.
One of the main points of criticism has been the continued inclusion of Wessly Madhevere.
However, the young all-rounder scored three centuries in the most recent Logan Cup—equal to Nick Welch, Ben Curran, and Craig Ervine, all of whom were also selected.
What Zimbabwe truly needs is a core group of consistent performers. Currently, there is an over-reliance on Blessing Muzarabani with the ball, while on the batting front, only Brian Bennett and Sean Williams have delivered with any level of consistency.
Yes, there are some “okay to good” players but the leap from domestic first class cricket to competing with the best in the world is massive.
And until we bridge that gap in quality, nothing else; not quota talk, not technical directors will make a real difference.
There is no shame in accepting that we’re behind. In fact, it’s the only way forward.
And to develop our talent, we need money.
Proper, solid investment.
Below is the team for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa and New Zealand:
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