Zimbabwe Preview

Zimbabwe cricket has come a long way since its last disastrous World Cup campaign. Then it was relatively new to the international circuit, having been granted full ICC membership in 1992, and had a young team cruelly robbed by injury of their only really experienced batsman Dave Houghton. They beat Kenya, but were convincingly defeated by all their other opponents. Three years down the line, the nucleus of that inexperienced side remains intact, with far more experience behind it and strengthened by equally talented newcomers.

The 1998/99 season will go down as the one when Zimbabwe finally learned how to win. Successive Test victories came over India and Pakistan, the latter resulting in a maiden series victory, and that away from home. In one-day cricket the team also proved more competitive away from home and reached the final of the triangular series in Sharjah after twice defeating Sri Lanka.

The Zimbabwean team may lack superstars, but there is an abundance of talented players who have developed their own unique brand of cricket. They play with a mixture of control and enthusiasm, determination and verve. On and off the field, they establish a rapport with the public in a way that perhaps no other Test team does. Lack of confidence and inexperience in the underestimated technique of winning have been their downfall in the past; now the shadows of that past have been put behind them, they could well prove to be the dark horse of this tournament.

Given an even playing field, Zimbabwe can now face any team in the world, except perhaps for Australia and South Africa, with at least a fifty per cent chance of victory. Besides Kenya, they have enjoyed recent victories over India, Sri Lanka and England; in fact they have won five out of six one-day matches against the hosts. Zimbabwe have a well-balanced team with several genuine all-rounders. They now have an experienced batting line-up and strength in both seam and spin. Few teams have such balance and depth in their bowling, and fewer still can match the Zimbabweans in their magnificent fielding. The only question mark is against their close catching, which at times has proved fallible, but this weakness is less evident in the one-day game than in Tests.

Players to watch: Andy Flower is undoubtedly the best batsman among international wicket-keepers, and he is currently in superb batting form. A left-hander who can mix seemingly languid strokeplay with intense concentration and determination, he has a fine temperament and it will indeed be a surprise if he fails to make a major impact. Neil Johnson and Grant Flower have formed a sound opening partnership, while both Johnson and Guy Whittall are good enough seamers to bowl a full quota of overs. Murray Goodwin has been through a lean spell with the bat recently, but is a most determined player who will want to leave his mark on this World Cup. Captain Alistair Campbell has frequently underachieved at international level, but he has a fine recent one-day record and is at his best in a crisis.

Should the top order fail, Campbell invariably seems to bail them out. This could be the swansong of Eddo Brandes, destroyer of England in the 1992 World Cup and the Zimbabwe tour three years ago. He will be thirsty for success, while the backbone of the attack will be the impressive Heath Streak - who is no mean batsman and one of the most brilliant fielders. Paul Strang is another leading bowler who can also bat and field superbly. But, given favourable conditions, the most exciting bowler to watch is paceman Henry Olonga, whose pace and fire put Shoaib Akhtar in the shade during Zimbabwe's recent victory over Pakistan.

Statistics

• Team World Cup Records
• Team One-Day International Records
• Zimbabwe Statistics