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Fast bowler Kyle Jarvis has been ruled out of the remainder of Zimbabwe's tour of the Caribbean after scans revealed a stress fracture of the lower back.

Jarvis played in Zimbabwe's warm-up match before the first two one-day internationals but struggled with pain in the lower back throughout the first week of the tour which comprises five ODIs.

According to team physiotherapist Amato Machikicho:

"Kyle went for an MRI scan in Guyana during the second match against the West Indies and the stress fracture was clear. There are still several diagnostics to be done so we can't be certain of the extent of the injury or the prognosis, but he will certainly be out of cricket for a minimum of three months and probably longer."

Jarvis, 21, was understandably disappointed but vowed to fight back:

"I'm not the first fast bowler to have this sort of injury and I won't be the last. I know it will take a lot of work to regain fitness but I'm determined to get back to playing international cricket as soon as possible."

[Source: ZC]

The Herald reports that Eagles coach Chris Silverwood has left the side ahead of the English county season, after being called in to fill the role of bowling coach for Essex (and not Sussex as the Herald's article initially states). It's not all bad news for Eagles, though, as the franchise expects Silverwood to return next season. In the meantime, former national coach Walter Chawaguta will be 'helping out' with the side - although team manager Joseph Madyembwa was at pains to point out that Chawaguta has not been given a contract - with Douglas Hondo taking on the player-coach role.
The Herald - Chris Silverwood leaves for England

While most people, including Peter Chingoka and Alastair Campbell, are talking about Zimbabwe resuming Test cricket in the 18-month timeframe, coaching director and former Zim captain Dave Houghton is taking a far more optimistic approach: he wants to see his side back in the long form of the game before the end of the year. His reasoning is simple: one-day and Twenty20 cricket are no indicators of form in the Test form of the game, and for Zimbabwe to truly prove their readiness for Test cricket, they need to be playing Test cricket:

"I personally think that we should be playing Test cricket again by the end of the year. We have been playing one-day cricket, but you cannot judge a team on one-day cricket. Since I returned to Zimbabwe four-and-a-half months ago, things have improved with their cricket. They have a very good franchise system going in their domestic tournament, and it is helping the game back home."

Of course, the first roadblock will be the series against the West Indies, which begins tomorrow with a warm-up match against the UWI Vice-Chancellor's XI, before the first T20 International in Sunday. Unlike previous series against Full Members, where the mantra has been that Zimbabwe must be seen to be "competitive", the stated aim this time is to win the series, as ZC's media liason for the tour, Neil Manthorpe, reports:

The Zimbabwe team is determined to shake off a reputation for indifference and subservience acquired since its withdrawal from test cricket six years ago [...] At a team meeting before departure from Harare the squad came up with their own mission statement: ‘To win the series and convince the world that Zimbabwe Cricket must be taken seriously again.”

Tatenda Taibu confirmed the side's new attitude in an interview carried by CricInfo:

"We really want to start playing hard cricket again. We really want to stamp our authority now and start performing as expected. [...] There are a lot of times the guys have said there is a lot of talent in Zimbabwe, but we really have to put it to show now. It's not (just) about the talent, we really have to join the two (talent and maturity) and play good cricket."

All of which actually raises the stakes for Zimbabwe on this tour: an 18-month timescale for a Test return is ambitious, Houghton's 10-month target even more so, and there's little opportunity for slip-ups if either of those targets is to be met. The side currently on tour is arguably also not the strongest we could have sent (although it has to be remembered that some of the returning 'rebels', such as Andy Blignaut, are so far only available for domestic duty), which makes the task ahead that little bit harder. After years of listening with growing frustration to the "be competitive" mantra - little more than another way of saying "we don't care if we lose" - to hear some determination and optimism coming from players and coaches gives hope for the future.
CricInfo - Houghton targets Test return this year | CricInfo - Taibu: 'We want to play hard cricket again' | SuperSport - Sharing tactics behind enemy lines

At a press conference at Harare Sports Club earlier today, Alastair Campbell and Ozias Bvute announced the new Zimbabwe Cricket coaching team. The rumour mill earlier in the day had indicated that Grant Flower would get the nod, but as it transpired he had been appointed batting coach, partnering Heath Streak who remains as bowling coach. Steven Mangongo was named assistant coach, just rewards for the good results he's been achieving with Zimbabwe A and Mountaineers but the surprise of the day was the naming of Englishman Alan Butcher as the new head coach. Butcher was considered an outside bet for the post, with his main coaching experience at Surrey ending with the side's relegation to the English County Championship's second division - but those in the know would also point to him having had to work with a side with little top-class talent other than Mark Ramprakash. In the end, though, Butcher will fill the role of the man with coaching experience, while his three assistants bring with them a wealth of knowledge of the Zimbabwean game - and in the cases of Streak and Flower, distinguished playing careers of their own. Zimbabwe Cricket clearly hope that these are the four men to see Zimbabwe back to Test cricket - we'll soon find out. Butcher will take charge of the side for the tour to the West Indies later in the month.

The Zimbabwe Independent reports that the selection of a new coach for the Zimbabwe national side has been deferred to May, after ZC unexpectedly received a deluge of applications for the post. There are apparently 15 names currently in the hat, with that list expected to be cut to a shortlist of 6 that is in no way short on quality - the paper names the likely shortlist as Zimbabwe greats Grant Flower and Heath Streak; former South Africa and Australia Test players Kepler Wessels; former Surrey coach Alan Butcher; former SA Test player and Western Province coach Gary Kirsten; and current Mashonaland Eagles coach Chris Silverwood. Compare that list to the four applications received last time the coach's post was advertised, and it's clear to see how ZC has turned the appeal of the Zimbabwe side around.
Zimbabwe Independent - Kirsten, Butcher Want Zim Coaching Role

Midwest Rhinos player Riki Wessels (son of Kepler Wessels, one of the applicants for the position of national coach) has indicated that he plans to return to the side next season. Wessels has had a fairly successful time with Rhinos so far, 313 runs at an average of 34.17 in the six Logan Cup matches he's played so far, and in an interview with the Zimbabwe Standard had good words to say about the standard of play in the competition this year:

"I am busy trying to sort out my papers so that I can return to play next season. I really enjoyed my time here with the Rhinos and cricket has a bright future in Zimbabwe. It is not long before Test cricket returns to the country because I have seen they have got quite a few exciting young cricketers like Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor and Graeme Cremer."

"If you see these guys performing like this at their age it means they will get better as they grow older. [The franchise system] has helped a lot because the cricketers are now playing a lot of competitive cricket regularly and a lot of former players have also returned. The future is good and what is needed is a bit more exposure for the cricketers by playing against quality sides. The first year of running a franchise is also the difficult part. But this year it has gone rather well and the challenge now is to improve on the next season."

Wessels is expected to return to Northamptonshire during the upcoming English season.
Zimbabwe Standard - Wessels Set for Comeback

Bulawayo Athletics Club will be holding a dinner function on the 6th of February in honor of Tuskers and national team batsman Charles Coventry.

The cricket section chairman and one of the organizers, Mr Derrick Townsend told the Chronicle Sport that the club was honoring the world class batsman for the sterling performance he displayed for his country against Bangladesh in August 2009 when he scored a world equaling record 194 not out. He played these magnificent innings in the third One Day International of the Grameenphone Series which Zimbabwe eventually lost.

Mr Townsend said the club recognized the significant role Coventry had played to put the city of Bulawayo on the map. Bulawayo is where the series against Bangladesh was played and where Coventry was born and raised. "He has done the country and us (BAC) proud thus we decided to honor him and thank him for the contributions he has made," he said.

Coventry on this fateful day equaled the One Day Internationals highest score by an individual with Pakistan's great batsman Saeed Anwar. All over the world he has made an impression by this tremendous innings and has gone on to be nominated by the international media as the best ODI batsman award in the year 2009.
[Source: ZC]

Premier spin coach Terry Jenner has said that he has been pleasantly surprised by the talent displayed by those who attended his spin coaching clinics in Harare and Zimbabwe run over the last two weeks.

"There is definitely a platform from which to develop the skill, especially among the school boys," said Jenner during his last clinic at Bulawayo's Queens Sports Club on Thursday.

Pupils from Emakhandeni, CBC, Luveve High and Mtshingwe College in Bulawayo and those from Prince Edward, St Georges College and St John's in Harare, as well as junior spin bowlers from Takashinga Cricket Club were treated to some top class training on the fundamentals of wrist spin bowling.

"The turnout was phenomenal and the schools cricketers are especially privileged to have this kind of training at such a young age, " said Zimbabwe Cricket's Head of Media and Communications Shingai Rhuhwaya.

Each session saw both professional and school cricketers being taken through the fundamentals of the technique; from the time a bowler walks on to the cricket field to play. The very attentive groups were heedfully instructed on how to hold the ball in various types of spin, how to approach the crease and the fundamental angles and lengths of ball placement.

Jenner repeatedly shouted the phrase "Spin is off the air" and "break is off the pitch," as he gave advice on how each cricketer could identify their bowling styles and maximise on their strengths .

Terry Jenner is world renowned wrist spin coach who has a great influence in the success story of fellow Australian, Shayne Warne who has been rated as one of the all time leg spin legends the cricket world has ever seen. The 66 year old coach believes he still has a lot to offer Zimbabwean players especially at franchise level.

He wrote on his personal blog "My passion is for Spin Bowling and I live this through assisting to develop spinners by enhancing their gift," a lucid indication of an assertive man on a mission.

Of what he has seen of Zimbabwe's chance of producing competitive spin bowlers Jenner had this to say, "There is certainly a bright future for Zimbabwe's spin department"
[Source: ZC]

CricInfo are reporting that Doug Marillier and Andy Blignaut have been named in a provisional 30-man squad for Zimbabwe's tour of the West Indies - something of a surprise as, while the return of both men to the Zimbabwe scene is very welcome news, neither has any recent cricketing form on which to base their selection. The full provisional list has yet to be made public.

In related news, Sean Ervine has been signed by Southern Rocks for the remainder of the season, although the player remains unavailable for national selection (he's also currently signed to Hampshire under a Kolpak contract, which precludes international play). Rocks have also signed Australian all-rounder Ian Harvey.
CricInfo - Blignaut and Marillier included in provisional squad for West Indies

CricInfo reports that Dubai-based charity Shyam Bhatia Cricket for Care (named after its founder & parton, Shyam Bhatia) has made a donation of kit, including balls, bats, helmets, wicketkeeping gloves and other protective gear, to ZC. The kit has in turn been handed over to the five franchise sides for distribution to those who need it. ZC chairman Peter Chingoka welcomed the donation:

"This donation means a lot to our development programme but even more to the young cricketers at the grassroots who will receive the kit soon. As ZC we have always believed in the need to make cricket a sport that embraces all Zimbabweans, no matter where they live or go to school. Thanks to Mr Bhatia's generous contribution, we are able to continue to do just that."

Shyam Bhatia has also made donations to the cricket boards of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, and West Indies:

"Cricket has made me what I am today. The prospect of giving under-privileged children around the world the opportunity to also benefit from cricket brings me immeasurable joy."

Cricketing kit remains expensive in Zimbabwe, and this donation will help in the rebuilding of ZC's development programmes.
CricInfo - Donation for ZC development programme