Dream cricket team of Zimbabwe

Post self imposed international suspension of Cricket in 2006 and the return to International test cricket in 2009, the future of Zimbabwe cricket team does not seem promising at all. The Zimbabwean team has been on a topsy turvy ride since the achievement of test caps in 1992. Currently they are still in doldrums due to internal politics of the Zimbabwean Cricket Board. Although the team has produced some world class players in the history, we hope that Zimbabwe Cricket will soon recuperate and emerge as a fine time as it was in mid 90’s. In an acknowledgement to the ‘once upon a time’ good team we have compiled a Dream team for Zimbabwe, which is as follows:

• Murray Goodwin (Opening Batsman)
• Hamilton Masakadza (Opening Batsman)
• Alister Campbell (Middle Order Batsman)
• Grant Flower (Middle Order Batsman)
• Andy Blignaut (All rounder)
• Heath Streak (All rounder)
• Brendan Taylor (wicketkeeper/ Batsman)
• Andy Flower (Fast Bowler)
• Henry Olonga (Fast Bowler)
• Niel Johnson (Fast Bowler)
• Paul Strang (spin bowler)

Top ten Twenty20 openers/middle order batsmen of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe twenty 20 team has a good mix of openers and middle order batsmen. None of their batsmen have a very good score in their Twenty 20 career, but they are very consistent in making good, decent scores in this fast format of Twenty 20 tournaments. Hamilton Masakadza is the top opener of the Zimbabwe Twenty 20 team with the highest score of 79. He is pretty consistent in his batting as he has made the three best scores in his twenty 20 career. A list of the top ten openers and middle order batsmen for Zimbabwe goes like this.

Batsman	Runs	Year
Hamilton Masakadza	79	13 Oct 2008
Hamilton Masakadza	72	8 Oct 2010
Brendan Taylor	60*	12 Sep 2007
Brendan Taylor	59	10 Oct 2010
Chamu Chibhabha	59	10 Oct 2010
Hamilton Masakadza	53	12 Oct 2008
Chamu Chibhabha	52	8 Oct 2010
Brendan Taylor	47	13 Sep 2007
Tatenda Taibu	45*	10 Oct 2008
Tatenda Taibu	45*	13 Jun 2010

Top ten ODI openers/middle order batsmen of Zimbabwe

Openers are very important batsmen in any team as they are responsible for setting morale, motivation and, most of all, scoring. ODI openers/middle order batsmen have to play an important role in the match and need to be hard hitters and sensible players. Charles Kevin Coventry of Zimbabwe is not only among the top openers of Zimbabwe team but also ranked with the top five openers of the world. The recognition of this batsman has brought good a name for the team. Here is the list of the top ten ODI openers/middle order batsmen of Zimbabwe.

Batsman	Runs	Year
Charles Coventry	194*	16 Aug 2009
Shingirai Masakadza	178*	18 Oct 2009
Craig Wishart	172*	10 Feb 2003
Shingirai Masakadza	156	12 Oct 2009
Brendan Taylor	145*	15 Oct 2010
Andy Flower	145	14 Sep 2002
Grant Flower	142*	11 Apr 2001
Andy Flower	142*	7 Oct 2001
DL Houghton	142	10 Oct 1987
Grant Flower	140	27 Mar 1999

Top ten Test cricket openers/middle order batsmen of Zimbabwe

Although Zimbabwe has a very short history of Test matches, they have produced very talented and extraordinary Test match openers and middle order batsmen. They have come up to the level to give tough matches in the Test series to any other Test cricket team in the world. Dave Houghton and Andy Flower are the two best test match batsmen to set the top scores of Zimbabwe. Dave Houghton, with a score of 266, is in first place amongst his Test team players. Here is the list of the top ten Test match openers and middle order batsmen of Zimbabwe.

Batsman	Runs	Year
Dave Houghton	266	20 Oct 1994
Andy Flower	232*	25 Nov 2000
Guy Whittall	203*	25 Sep 1997
Grant Flower	201*	31 Jan 1995
Andy Flower	199*	7 Sep 2001
Guy Whittall	188*	19 Sep 2000
Andy Flower	183*	18 Nov 2000
Murray Goodwin	166*	14 Mar 1998
Grant Flower	156*	14 Mar 1998
Andy Flower	156	31 Jan 1995

Top 10 fifty scorers of Zimbabwe in Test

Although Zimbabwe is one of the first teams to gain Test status from ICC, it is now forming a new pattern. Their earlier team was very good in performance and cut a good figure in cricket matches. A. Flower and G.W. Flower, brothers, were the main key players of that prior team and having 232 (not out) and 201 (not out), respectively. A. Flower made 27 test centuries and G.W. Flower made 15 Test centuries with numerous fifties. But the credit of the highest score made in a single inning belongs to D.L. Houghton (1992-1997); but as he played for a few years, he got only four Test centuries in 36 innings. The top ten fifties from the Zimbabwean team in Test matches are the following:

• A. Flower
• G.W. Flower
• G.J. Whittall
• D.L. Houghton
• M.W. Goodwin
• A.D.R. Campbell
• S.V. Carlisle
• H.H. Streak
• T. Taibu
• C.B. Wishart

Next Page »