Earlier in the year Wisden Online spoke to Heath Streak - Zimbabwe's current captain - Andy Flower and Stuart Carlisle - two former ones - on whether Zimbabwe's escalating domestic troubles affect them on the pitch, the World Cup and the state of the Zimbabwean Cricket Union. Andy Flower stressed the severity of the civil unrest, referring to the "unpleasant atmosphere" and the country's "uncertain future". But along with Streak, he admitted that when the team go out onto the pitch the players are professional enough to put those problems out of their minds. Referring to the World Cup, both Flower and Streak remembered 1999 when Zimbabwe surprised everyone and qualified for the Super Sixes. They were confident they could do it again and praised the coaching team of Geoff Marsh and Kevin Curran for the positive effect they have had.

Stuart Carlisle said he would like to see more experienced Test players in the World Cup squad, rather than selecting too many younger players at once. All three agreed the amount of young talented cricketers coming through was encouraging for side, especially considering their small player base. But Streak in particular, stressed the need for caution when handling them, as international cricket now represents a big opportunity, both financially and to their life-style.

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