Cricket Betting: Zimbabwe and Windies face challenges ahead of series

Twenty20 / Frank Gregan / 22 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

Zimbabwean cricket has been suffered because of the country's political upheaval

"Let's hope Alan Butcher gets the free reign he's been promised. We don't want to see Robert Mugabe coming out to bat at number four!"

Zimbabwe cricket is hoping for a fresh start while Ottis Gibson bids to get the best out of his underachieving West indies team. Frank Gregan looks ahead to a series between two teams at the crossroads.

Both the West Indies and Zimbabwe have recently made changes at the top of their coaching structures as they attempt to revive their fortunes.

Zimbabwe's woes have been pretty much self-inflicted, political interference ensuring that their decline was rapid and leading to a self-imposed ban from Test cricket in January 2006. Since then there has been little improvement with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union effectively being under military control. The days when Zimbabwe boasted quality players such as Grant and Andy Flower, Heath Streak and Murray Goodwin looked long gone but the appointment of a new cricket committee with former skipper Alistair Campbell at the helm in July last year offered some hope. Cricket in Zimbabwe now appears to be back in the hands of cricketing men, not Army Generals!

Former-Surrey coach Alan Butcher has been appointed as Zimbabwe's new main man with a remit of getting the nation established back in the Test arena. He has been promised a free reign, no political interference and a selection policy based on ability rather than colour and creed. Let's hope it works and we don't see Robert Mugabe coming out to bat at number four!

The West Indies situation is totally different, rather than finding and nurturing players capable of playing Test cricket as will be Butcher's task, Ottis Gibson has inherited a squad oozing ability but with the mental strength of the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz!

It appeared that Gibson had the proverbial 'job in a chocolate factory' whilst he was the bowling coach with England. He didn't have the pressure that's directed at the Head Coach and he was left to get on with the job of getting the best from his bowlers. He was hugely popular, both Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson were quick to sing his praises, claiming that he was a major influence during last year's Ashes win. It had to have been something very special to lure him away from the England camp and the opportunity to return to his roots proved to be just that.

He has dodged a baptism of fire because, although he was appointed prior to the one dayers against a rampant Australia, he does not take control of the squad until later this week when they return to the Caribbean to host Zimbabwe for five one day internationals and a Twenty20. He will have been watching the current series keenly, eager to spot strengths and weaknesses, but unfortunately his strengths column will be blank whereas he has probably used up a couple of notebooks to compile his team's weaknesses!

They were mullered 4-0 with one contest being washed out. Welcome to the real world Mr Gibson! He has taken on a huge task and the first thing he needs to do is find a way to motivate his underachieving squad.

Gibson needs to pass on some words of wisdom to his men. The first word he should attempt to introduce into his team's vocabulary is "try!" You can have all the talent in the world but if your application is poor you will win diddly squat. He needs to look around for a decent hair-dryer and use it in the dressing room in order to get the required effort out of his stars.

Their tour of Australia comes to an end tomorrow when they play the final Twenty20 match against their hosts, who are desperate to end the summer unbeaten. It's difficult to find any reason to recommend the West Indies other than value, Australia are [1.27] to back with Chris Gayle's outfit a whopping [3.7]. The shorter the format, the greater the chance of an upset and the West Indian price may well prove to be too big, particularly if they apply themselves properly!