'Beating India is no mean feat'

VIJAY LOKAPALLY

HEATH STREAK is the pillar of strength around which the Zimbabwe team rallies. He is a man with a vision and one who stands by his players. In the process he ended up inviting the wrath of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union as he stepped down from captaincy while campaigning for the rights of the players.

The timing of the action may have been debatable, but Streak made his views known to the administrators and earned the respect of his colleagues.

Streak commands the attention of the Board and is seen as the best man to give shape to the future of the administration's plans of spreading the game to all corners of the country. Streak is known to take efforts to try and work at the grassroots level in an attempt to make the non-white players realise their dreams. As a captain, he has a role to play on the field, but off it he devotes a lot of time to enable the Board make encouraging progress on the development front.

In this interview in Bulawayo, Streak discusses the current state of affairs in Zimbabwe cricket.

Excerpts:

Question: How do you view Zimbabwe's performance this season?

Answer: We've had a few successes this season. Obviously, the win against India was a big one for us. To beat India is no mean feat. The Indians had come to Zimbabwe having beaten a strong team like Australia at home. I've always regarded India as a quality Test side and it was a delight to have won against such a team. Drawing the series was great. And then we saw some youngsters coming into the fold. We've got young Blignaut, Watambwa, Murphy, Friend. They are a big gain. It's nice to see young blood coming through. It's important because once they get the exposure at the international level it'll be the team which'll gain. I can say that Zimbabwe can only improve with these young guys coming through.

Why does Zimbabawe lose so frequently, despite having the potential to do well?

I don't think that's a fair comment. We're still young. We don't have the numbers that other countries have. We don't have the same money and the same facilities. We're improving. The more we spread the game in the country the better we will become. I think we've done exceptionally well in the short time we've been there. We've got to learn from our mistakes and I'm sure we would do that, but then we've had injuries to some of our key players and that has been a blow. It has affected us a lot because the other countries have a bigger base of quality players compared to Zimbabwe. Our international players are few and when someone like Andy Flower gets injured it becomes tough to find a ready replacement. It makes a big difference. Losing players like Goodwin and Johnson was a setback. I'm sure with those stars around Zimbabwe would've been much stronger and achieved much more. With them Zimbabwe would've been one of the most formidable sides at any level - Test or one-day cricket. But we can't complain. We've got to move and keep working hard and develop as a Test-playing country.

Are you progressing well on the development front?

I suppose so. I think the Board's in a better financial position now and there's greater incentive for everyone. With players' salaries improving all the time and more money to spare for the development process there's motivation for people to work and try to reach the top. There're more opportunities for the general public to play cricket now. It looks good at the grassroots level.

Do you believe there are distractions for the players, like the ones in the last one month?

There've been quite a few distractions I agree, but then the guys are all professionals and they got to learn to play with these problems around. They have to put those sort of things behind once they step on to the field. Whether personal problems or the collective ones you have to get over them. We as a whole should look forward to giving our best. I think the problems arose from lack of communication between the players and the administrators. And hopefully we can improve that. The game is becoming more and more professional and we've to develop a healthy relationship between the players and the administrators.

What is it that Zimbabwe lacks?

I think we need greater exposure. Our 'A' teams and the provincial teams need to play more high quality cricket to develop the youngsters. They have to make sure the players get the right opportunities to show their talent and develop their abilities at the right age. They should be coached at the right age by sending them to top academies outside Zimbabwe. It could be in India, Australia or South Africa. I think this would improve Zimbabwe cricket as a whole. The development programme has to have a wider base with more and more competition for the talented players.

What role do you see for yourself, fighting for the players' rights and leading them on the field?

That's part of the job of a captain. I've to fight for the guys and for the country. I just want to go out there and play cricket with the best XI players. We can focus on playing our cricket and do our country proud. Since I started as a junior player, and now that I'm the captain, it has always been my dream to win matches for the country. I always wanted to be part of a winning unit. Give one hundred per cent and keep on improving.

What would you say is the strength of Zimbabwean cricket and the biggest gain in the last two months?

Getting the young guys in the side. These young fast bowlers in the side now who have the potential to create healthy competition among the talented players. We now have guys with the ability to bowl fast and it'll help us bowl the oppositions out twice. In the past it's been a sort of a let down and a lot of pressure has been on me. Now we have the guys with the right potential. We've some good openers in the country.

What about your problems with the Board? Have you solved them?

Not all the problems have been solved, but we now have the commitment from the players and the administration to help improve things from now onwards. Like I said, communication has improved and we've put the past behind us. We're looking at the future with a progressive mind. We as players have to focus on the game in the middle and give some inputs to improve the state of affairs. We're looking at playing our best and that's what the general public wants.

How would you assess the team's performance in the triangular series?

Well, it was disappointing, to say the least. Without making excuses, I would like to stress the fact that we missed Andy Flower and Brian Murphy in key situations. We did have our moments but then we made some silly errors. We overlooked the basics a few times but then it should serve as a learning process for the young guys in the side.