Professional sportsmen are very sensitive creatures, and for good reason. Judged and criticised by the world in a flash, hundreds of hours of hard work are dismissed, unseen and uncared for, on a whim.
The highs and lows come thick and fast, right on top of each other, rarely with sufficient time in between to either celebrate nor reflect upon defeat appropriately. Three ODIs in the space of five days was a tough task for the Zimbabweans especially with the emotional roller-coaster of taking wickets and threatening to pull off a shock victory after weak batting efforts.
There were high hopes before the tour started and even higher after the opening wins against the West Indies in the T20 and first ODI in Guyana. But three painful truths became obvious to the squad – or at least the management – as the short tour progressed. The top order batsmen were either unable or unwilling to bat to a plan, they reacted poorly to pressure and the majority of the players are not fit enough for international cricket.
They were aware of how many people were watching and how many hopes and expectations sat with their followers and supporters around the world. They could not have been more disappointed by the way they finished the tour, with four consecutive defeats after starting it with three successive victories. Having dreamt of pronouncing themselves ready for a return to the full international playing schedule in six months time, they must now face the reality of waiting until next year – probably after the World Cup.
The hundreds of hours of hard work may feel like they’ve come to nothing. But even harder to swallow will be the reality that they weren’t enough in the first place and many hundreds more are now required.
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