Tour of  India 2001-02           Captain: Stuart Carlisle

Zimbabwe’ssixteenth Test tour

Third Test-playing tour of India by Zimbabwe

   (February - March 2002)

There were four former captains in the side ­ (Andy and Grant Flower, Heath Streak and Campbell) now being led, as a first choice, by middle-order batsman Stuart Carlisle. The selectors omitted Henry Olonga, arguably the most destructive bowler, who has been plagued by injuries.  Playing a Test series away from home, while the result of the national election could decide the fate of many of the national cricketers and their families, was very unsettling.

The Indian and Zimbabwean cricketers were prevented from going out alone in Guwahati where strict restrictions were imposed on the players' movements. The Indian authorities were battling a number of separatist militant groups in India's insurgency-afflicted Assam state.

Zimbabwe were trounced in the first Test at Nagpur where India hit a mammoth first innings of 570, including three centuries, before Harbhajan and Kumble bowled India to victory on a dusty crumbling pitch.  Zimbabwe put a much better fight before losing the second Test, the Indian spinners again taking all the wickets.

Other Zimbabwe tours

Previous tour

Sri Lanka 2001-02

Next tour

England 2003

Next tour of India

 None scheduled

Members of the Test tour party   (14)

Opening batsmen  Stuart Carlisle, Trevor Gripper

Middle-order batsmen  Alistair Campbell, Andy Flower, Dion Ebrahim, Grant Flower, Gavin Rennie, Craig Wishart.

Wicket-keeper:  Tatenda Taibu

Spin bowler:  Raymond Price

Fast bowlers:  Travis Friend, Pommie Mbangwa, Heath Streak, Brighton Watambwa.

District representation  

 Logan Cup teams

CFX

Mat Matabeleland (2)

Man  Manicaland

Mid:  Midlands  (3)

Msh Mashonaland (9)

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

(21 February 2002) :

 25 years  10 months.

Key to type:

RHB Right-handed bat

RM  Right arm medium-paced bowler

RFM  Right-arm fast medium

OB   Off break

WK  Wicket-keeper

ODI   Member of squad for the ODI series

Test Appearances made before the tour

A Flower 59,  G Flower 59,  Campbell  56,  Streak 49,  Carlisle 25,  G Rennie 22,  Wishart 21,  Mbangwa 15,  Gripper 12,  Ebrahim 11,  Friend 8,  Price 6,  Watamba 4,  Taibu 2.

Tour Officials

Selectors

Ali Shah (convenor of selectors),  Iain Butchart,  Macsood Ebrahim,  Dave Houghton,  Stephen Mangongo and Terry Nicolle.

Selection

Unavailable:  Brian Murphy, Henry Olonga  (both injured),   Bryan Strang (retired).   Zimbabwe cricket also lost Everton Matambanadzo (who married and emigrated to a business career in San Francisco).

Tour Party Announced : 9 February 2002.

Not selected :   Gary Brent,  Mluleki Nkala,  Guy Whittall.

Paul Strang was not chosen and asked for release from his Zimbabwe contract so that he could  commentate on the series in India.

One-day team announced  :  1 March 2002

Time between selection and departure from Zimbabwe  

    3 days

(9 February  -  12 February)

Travel

Harare    Q   Mumbai

The Zimbabwe team left home after a three week break from their tour of Sri Lanka, and landed in Mumbai early on the morning of 13 February 2002.

The one-day reinforcements, Gary Brent, Charles Coventry and Douglas Marillier left Harare for Delhi on Sunday morning. They were joined by Douglas Hondo, who was playing in Australia.

Time spent in India

   37 days

(13 February - 22 March)

On-tour selection panel

Geoff Marsh (coach),   Stuart Carlisle (captain)  and Heath Streak (vice-captain).

Reinforcements

Four players joined the team for the ODI series : Gary Brent, Charles Coventry, Douglas Marillier and Douglas Hondo.

Fixtures/Results

§  ODI  Series

† not first-class

.

Time spent in India before First Test:      4 days

(9 March  -   21 February)

Test appearances on tour

2  -    Campbell,  Carlisle,  A Flower,  G Flower,  Friend,  Gripper,  Price,  Streak,  Taibu,  Watamba.

1  -    Ebrahim,  G Rennie.

0  -    Mbangwa,  Wishart.

Match appearances

Highlights

•   Ray Price took ten of the 20 Indian wickets to fall in the two matches.

•   Travis Friend, who had earlier hit 60 not out, was banned from bowling at Nagpur after sending down two beamers.

•   Andy Flower hit 92 and Dion Ebrahim 94 in Zimbabwe's highest innings of the series at Delhi.

•   Batting no 10, Doug Marillier in the first ODI hit 56 in 21 balls to win the match.

Tour Summary

Return to Zimbabwe

Mumbai   Q    Harare

Trevor Gripper, Raymond Price, Gavin Rennie and Brighton Watambwa went home at the end of the Test series.

The team returned home on 22 March 2002.

Time away from Zimbabwe

    39 days  

(12 February to  23 March)

Finances

Accounts of the tour

Postscript