Test Cricket Tours - Zimbabwe to South Africa 2004-05
Tour ofSouth Africa 2004-05Captain:Tatenda Taibu
Zimbabwe’s twentieth Test tour
Second Test-playing tour of South Africaby Zimbabwe
(February -March 2005 )
As the white players' rebellion against the Zimbabwe Board ended, Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut were flown down in time to play in the Test series.Without Streak and Blignaut, the average age would have been 20 yrs 9 months - the youngest of any tour party.
Streak was virtually coerced into making himself available for Zimbabwe by threats to confiscate the family farm in the Turk Mine district.Blignaut had also agreed to play again for Zimbabwe but, due to his lack of fitness, he would not be going on the tour of South Africa, and instead joined the Zimbabwe A side hosting Bangladesh A.
From being dismissed for a total of only 54 in the first innings at Cape Town, to conceding runs at a rate of more than 5 an over during the series, Zimbabwe simply did not reach the standards required for Test matches.As former coach David Houghton said, they lacked credibility as a Test nation. Before the ICC could inflict a suspension from Test cricket upon them, the Board announced it was suspending itself.
In January 2006 Meman was sacked after fifteen years as Zimbabwe's national cricket manager.
Selectors
Maqsood Ebrahim, convenor of selectors,Richie Kaschula, Ethan Dube.
Ebrahim and Dubewere volunteers. They stood down later in the year as there was no resolution to the players’ strike.Kaschula, the only full-time, paid selector, was fired in January 2006.
Selection
Unavailable:Andy Blignaut (at first).
Tour Party Announced :6 Feb 2005
Dion Ebrahim was left out of the squad and put into the Zimbabwe A team with the incentive that he might yet be called up for the Tests if his form was good- which is what happened.Andy Blignaut, too, joined the Zimbabwe A side (owing to his lack of fitness) but subsequently was available for the Test matches.
Not selected Vusumuzi Sibanda, and Mluleki Nkala,
Time between selection and departure from Zimbabwe
9 days
(6 February-15 February)
Travel
HarareQJohannesburg
The team went into a week's preparation camp on 7 February 2005.
Their captain Tatenda Taibu and the pace bowler Douglas Hondo are still recovering from injuries picked up in Bangladesh, but they were passed as fit before the team's departure.
The Zimbabwe team flew from Harare, and arrived at the Johannesburg's international airport on Tuesday morning 15 February 2005.
• While at the wicket Heath Streak (85) added 150 runs with Andy Blignaut (52) and Graeme Cremer (12) in the second Test.
Tour Summary
P
W
L
D
Aban
Test Matches
2
0
2
0
-
Other first-class matches
1
0
0
1
-
ϯ Minor matches
1
1
0
0
-
§ One-day internationals
3
0
3
0
-
All Matches
7
1
5
1
-
Return to Zimbabwe
JohannesburgQHarare
Gavin Ewing and Panyangara went home after the one-day series on 3 March.
Time away from Zimbabwe
x days
(15 February to 31 March?)
Finances
Accounts of the tour
Postscript
This was the last Zimbabwean Test tour until January 2012 -a seven-year gap.
On Wednesday January 2006 Zimbabwe Cricket suspended its own participation in Test matches. The decision was made by a government-appointed interim committee after consideration of recent performances by the national team.