Three one-day internationals gone, three more defeats for Zimbabwe. Our batsmen have done heroically at times, but our poor bowling has guaranteed that in every match they will need to score more than 300 - and that against one of the strongest bowling attacks in cricket. At least they have ensured that we lost with some honour each time.

CONTENTS

Pakistan in Zimbabwe
• First ODI, in Bulawayo, Saturday 23 November: Scorecard | Report
• Second ODI, in Bulawayo, Sunday 24 November: Scorecard |Report
• Third ODI, in Harare, Wednesday 27 November: Scorecard | Report
• Waddington Mwayenga Biography
• 10-Year Celebrations: The players remember the first official one-day international to be played on Zimbabwean soil: Zimbabwe v India, in October 1992 More
• Letters

Either we need new personnel in the bowling department, or else we need those in it to improve their games markedly. In the third one-day international we did have new personnel, and at least our bowling was more accurate, with Douglas Hondo and Gary Brent back in the side. They did not unduly bother Pakistan with fear of dismissal; Pakistan still hammered them, but at least we could say it was due to superb Pakistani batting rather than wayward Zimbabwean bowling. If we do not have the quality of bowlers to put fear of dismissal into the opposing batsmen, we should at least have bowlers who can bowl accurately and force their opponents to take risks to score runs - instead of the buffet, 'help-yourself' bowling that we served up in the Bulawayo matches.

There is still no sign yet that Pommie Mbangwa is being considered by the selectors at all. He showed on recent tours that he has developed the skills needed for reasonable success in limited-over cricket, but after doing reasonably well in Sharjah he has been unaccountably overlooked. He now inhabits the television commentary box, watching others spray the ball all over the pitch.

One promising bowler was Waddington Mwayenga, 18-year-old pace bowler from St John's College in Harare and member of the national Under-19 side. He has been watched very carefully by the selectors for a year now and made his debut in the second match in Bulawayo. Many thought he was yet another raw player thrust into international cricket by the selectors before he was ready for it, only to be dropped - and so perhaps he was. But the impressive thing about him is that he pitches the ball well up and he bowls on the wicket. He can bowl line and length, and was our most accurate seamer in the match. He had a difficult time of it as Yousuf Youhana and Shahid Afridi got after him in a big way, but still he did not fall apart. With the right handling, he could be our next bowler of genuine Test-match quality. We include a biography in this issue.

The ICC delegation is currently in Zimbabwe to report on whether it is safe to hold World Cup matches in the country, and those of us who live here have no doubt that their report will be positive. They state that their decision will not be based on politics; the unfortunate thing is that they are still likely to come under political pressure, especially after the Zimbabwean government has denied two British reporters visas. This political interference is likely to be matched by more from the British side, and probably elsewhere as well, and the ICC will be sorely tested as to their resolve not to allow politics to interfere with their decisions.

After seeing the country for themselves and watching Zimbabwe play Pakistan, two decisions should be quite clear to the ICC delegation. Firstly, Zimbabwe is still one of the safest countries in the world for all connected with cricket to visit. Secondly, and more specifically, Zimbabwe is an even safer place for batsmen from other countries to visit.

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