As Zimbabwe Cricket continues to hog the limelight on and off the field, Dean du Plessis, a top cricket analyst and commentator in Zimbabwe, says the board must return to the old system of player development and selection on merit.”The way forward is very simple,” du Plessis says. “We have got to bring back a lot of the former players. Not because the current players are not good enough, there’s a lot of talent in these young players, and I mean seriously talented cricketers, but they need to go through the system like those other players.”All these other players went through the system, and I’ll speak in particular of the non-white players, such as Henry Olonga, Pommie Mbangwa, Tatenda Taibu, Bernard Pswarayi, Brighton Watambwa, all these guys had a correct system, none of these players that are playing now had a correct system.”du Plessis says the fall of the domestic structure in Zimbabwe has led the game to the brink of collapse. “First of all in the past they played club cricket. For example you had a young Trevor Madondo facing the likes of [Heath] Streak and [Eddo] Brandes at club level,” he said. “Then if you did well there it was one step further, you would proceed to the Logan Cup level.”Bear in mind in those days in one-day cricket when the likes of Madondo were around making their debut, there was no such thing as a bouncer. You were not allowed to bowl short-pitched deliveries. Now you are allowed one per over.”When Madondo or Dion Ebrahim or Alester Maregwede made their debuts for Mashonaland, or whoever they were playing for that time, suddenly they had to adjust their game plan because guys like Eddo Brandes, who we all know was a very good bowler, and Streak, were able to bombard them with bouncers. But if they still passed the test, they then went one step further. They then represented what was known as the Zimbabwe Board XI. So it was basically like a Zimbabwe A side.”He explains how the system in the past was successful: “The A side in those days used to play against South African provincial sides in the B section of the Supersport Series. Fine it was the B section, but it was a lot more competitive than our Logan Cup. So if the likes of Ebrahim got a hundred or Olonga took five or six wickets, they had still proved themselves like any other cricketer should. Only when they proved themselves at every level, club level, Logan Cup level, then the Board XI, then, and only then, did they play for Zimbabwe. It wasn’t just a huge jump.”For example Johnson Marumisa went to the ICC World Twenty20. Fine he didn’t play, but that man had never represented Zimbabwe at any form of international cricket. Yet he was in the Zimbabwe side simply because he was quite impressive at club level. You cannot gauge a player by playing club cricket. He has to go through the system. And that is what every single one of those players I mentioned went through.”Taibu, we all know what a good cricketer he is, Olonga, well, he was an injury-prone cricketer, but I tell you what, when he was on the park he was special. As was Watambwa, although his work ethics you had to question, his heart wasn’t on the game, he had other things on his mind. But he was a seriously talented cricketer, Brighton’s talent came naturally, he didn’t even have to work on it, and the list is endless.”

du Plessis says players are being fast-tracked into the national side, thereby exposing their insufficient development. “At the end of the day it’s all well and good, we all want the masses to be playing cricket…well I certainly do because it’s the way forward,” he said. “As a white man I’m telling you that if there were 11 black men out there on merit I would be very proud to support my team. If there were 11 white men out there I will still be proud to support my team.”But unfortunately what is happening now is that these guys are being picked for various reasons. They are not ready to play yet, and at the end of the day, not only is it Zimbabwe that are not benefiting because they continuously get beaten, but think of the cricketer himself. You are responsible for destroying his career because he is not ready to play international cricket.”So he goes out knowing that he has to perform. And he is not going perform because he is not ready yet. You know what damage you are doing to his confidence?”du Plussis, probably the best commentator left in Zimbabwe despite being blind, believes he has suffered for his criticism of Zimbabwe Cricket’s administration. He has been sidelined from doing commentary for the current ODI series against West Indies.”I have made some comments and remarks about cricket in this country in the past that haven’t gone down well with Zimbabwe Cricket,” he said. “But they weren’t unjust, they were fair, and I speak my mind and I will never change that until the day I die.”If a guy needs a compliment I will compliment him, but if he’s played badly, or if the administrator is not running the cricket the way it should be then I will mention it, because that is my job. And if they don’t like it then change the radio station or go and watch another channel, or watch cartoon network.”

Shane Bond has been included in Canterbury’s domestic Twenty20 squad, but his playing hinges on whether he decides to annul his three-year contract with the Indian Cricket League.Bond is in talks with New Zealand Cricket’s chief executive, Justin Vaughan, who is making a last-ditch effort to convince Bond to terminate his contract with the ICL. But if Bond fulfills his contract with the rebel league, it could effectively end his six-year international career and delay his return to domestic cricket, as he will only be able to play [on a match-by-match basis] once his contract with the national squad expires in May. However, Bond has been cleared to play while the talks between his legal team and New Zealand Cricket are continuing.”Shane has been passed fit and we want him to play. He is, of course, a welcome addition to our squad,” Canterbury coach Dave Nosworthy told the , a Christchurch-based daily. He said Bond was included on the advice of Warren Frost, the New Zealand board’s sport science medical coordinator, who laid emphasis on how the fast bowler acquitted himself in a club match.Bond looked to have recuperated from an abdominal muscle strain picked up during New Zealand’s tour of South Africa, as he bowled eight overs without taking a wicket and scored 45 for his club team, Old Boys-Collegians.The board hasn’t taken an official stance on players who have signed on with the ICL, but had advised the national selectors to look beyond Hamish Marshall and Daryl Tuffey, two ICL-recruits who are still on the international radar.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Victoria turned what ought to have been a simple run chase into a desperate, chaotic scramble to beat Western Australia by two wickets off the penultimate ball in Perth. In a thrilling conclusion, Peter Siddle and Adam Crosthwaite held their nerve – and exploited those of Western Australia’s fielders – to chase down 226, with Siddle flicking Steve Magoffin to square leg to seal a nail-biting win.It should not have been this tight, however. Victoria needed 71 from 17 overs with David Hussey and Cameron White both going nicely, before Hussey mistimed a pull to mid-on. White then lost Andrew McDonald before he was, perhaps a little unfairly, trapped lbw for a brisk 46. Victoria needed 25 from 24 and, in the 48th over, Clint McKay reduced his side’s nerves with two consecutive fours before he was well caught by Luke Pomersbach.A haplessly run single cost Darren Pattinson his wicket which left the visitors requiring 10 from the final over, and they were given a helping hand – or rather, a helping glove – by Luke Ronchi, the Western Australia wicketkeeper, who couldn’t hold on to an edge off Crosthwaite’s bat which then flew down to third man for four. It was the deal-breaker Victoria needed, and Crosthwaite and Siddle nudged and nurdled the last four runs to win a memorable tie under the Perth lights.Western Australia, hard as their bowlers fought, simply didn’t have enough runs to play with. After struggling to 4 for 57, their innings was given an injection of pace through Marcus North’s 71 and Theo Doropoulos’s 55 from 51 balls, but neither were given the support they needed from a brittle tail. Pattinson’s miserly 3 for 14 from seven overs earned him the Man-of-the-Match award, as Victoria closed the gap on Tasmania with a game in hand. Western Australia are left languishing at the bottom.

Shane Bond’s comeback from an abdominal muscle strain, amid speculation he has signed with the Indian Cricket League, could not help his side Canterbury in their Twenty20 loss to Central Districts in Christchurch. Bond took 0 for 38 from his four overs as Central Districts cruised to 186 for 6, with Ross Taylor smashing five sixes in his 19-ball 46. Chris Harris, who is used to the Twenty20 format after joining the ICL, made 47 in the chase but had little support as Brendon Diamanti collected 3 for 14. Canterbury were all out for 120 in the 18th over, crashing to a 66-run loss.The Northern Districts captain James Marshall posted an unbeaten 58 to help his side to victory over Wellington in Hamilton. Marshall guided Northern Districts to 133 for 3 in the 16th over as they overhauled Wellington’s 131 for 8 with little drama. Grant Elliott top scored for the visitors with 34 but regular wickets meant they could not gather significant momentum.Bradley Scott helped Otago secure a 60-run win in Dunedin, grabbing 3 for 9 as Auckland were rattled out for 94. Rob Nicol tried to guide Auckland’s chase and made 43 but his team-mates fell apart and could get nowhere near Otago’s 154 for 7. Nathan McCullum’s 38 from 20 balls was the best individual effort for Otago.

Sussex have signed Ryan Harris, the South Australia allrounder, who holds a British passport after beating off interest from other counties. Harris is South Australia’s highest wicket-taker in the Pura Cup with 33 scalps and is the fourth highest in the domestic season.According to , Nottinghamshire, Somerset and Essex were also chasing Harris’s signature but he eventually opted for the defending county champions.”We are delighted to have finally got our man. Ryan is a bowler we have been tracking most of the winter and we’ve used our contact to find out as much about him as we can,” cricket manager Mark Robinson said. “He’s an exciting prospect who has the potential to bowl quickly. Moreover, Ryan is an outstanding fielder and a more than handy lower order batsman. He completes our squad and gives us the extra fire power we need for the defence of our title.”The signing still needs to be confirmed by the ECB but Sussex don’t foresee any problems. Harris will add valuable depth to Sussex’s squad – one of the smallest on the circuit – as they aim to defend their Championship title. Alongside his 33 Pura Cup wickets Harris has also scored 286 runs at 23.During the winter Sussex have lost the retired Richard Montgomerie, Saqlain Mushtaq who has gone to Surrey and Rana Naved to Yorkshire.Sussex begin their season against MCC, at Lord’s, on April 10 before their opening Championship fixture against Hampshire, at The Rose Bowl, on April 16.

Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, wants a maximum of six days to prepare his squad before it leaves for the West Indies, which would allow the players signed with the Indian Premier League to spend two weeks at the tournament. Nielsen is not concerned about the country’s contract holders, including Andrew Symonds, Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee, taking part in the Twenty20 competition as long as they return in good shape.The six-week IPL event begins on April 18 and a camp is likely to be held in the first week of May before Australia travel to the West Indies for Test and one-day series. “We’re still working through the process with Cricket Australia, but I would expect the guys would have time to play in India,” Nielsen said in the Sunday Mail. “So long as the guys turn up okay and ready to go and Cricket Australia finalises any issues with the IPL I can’t see a problem.”If the plan goes ahead the IPL-aligned players will be able to earn about a third of their prices from the auction in India last month. Symonds was bought for US$1.35m while Brett Lee ($900,000), Ricky Ponting ($400,000), Matthew Hayden ($375,000) and Michael Hussey ($350,000) were also picked up.Nielsen said he was looking at a five or six-day camp to fine-tune for the West Indies. “There are a few things to be considered,” he said. “My No.1 priority is having the players adequately prepared and ready to go to the West Indies, but I don’t expect the camp to be abnormally long.”

The debut of the Three Ws-Sir Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott and Sir Everton Weekes – some 60 years ago changed the face of West Indies cricket forever. That history was celebrated on Tuesday night at the Queen’s Park Oval Banquet Hall in the presence of the last surviving member, Sir Everton Weekes.Worrell made his Test debut in 1948, at the Oval, against England. The match marked the start of the Three Ws era, and was also Andy Ganteaume’s lone Test appearance. Though the Trinidad and Tobago batsman made 112, he was never again selected on the regional team.Three perspectives on the life of Worrell and the 1948 Test match were presented at Tuesday’s function. Deryck Murray gave a player’s take on Worrell, Tony Cozier delivered a journalist’s point of view and Professor Courtney Bartholomew presented a personal perspective.All three speakers agreed that his contribution to West Indies cricket went “well beyond the boundary”.Murray described the 1948 Test as unique since it was Ganteaume’s first and last appearance. He said Ganteaume’s unfortunate situation will remain one of the defining moments of the era. Murray praised Ganteaume for the way he carried himself after being dropped after becoming the first West Indies batsman to make a century on debut, in the first innings of the Oval Test. The T&T board president said Ganteaume was “still able to contribute, and further the cause of West Indies cricket.”Murray recalled the first time he played under the captaincy of Worrell. “In Sir Frank Worrell we had a man who became accepted as the elder statesman of West Indies cricket…a unifying force. He was all things to all men. I understood how little the significance of insularity could be if you wanted to be part of a team. He insisted that room-mates could not be from the same territory, he insisted that there was an older and younger roommate so that at all times the team administration was about learning, mentorship and becoming a representative of a truly West Indian team in the true sense of the word. I have no hesitation in saying that Sir Frank Worrell was the greatest leader that world cricket has ever seen and probably even beyond that.”Cozier looked back at Worrell’s career. “Here is a man who, through cricket and from quite humble beginnings in Barbados, was knighted in 1964, the second West Indian cricketer to be knighted, was a senator in Jamaica, and when he died he was honoured by a Memorial Service in Westminster Abbey, the only cricketer to be so honoured.”It was here at the Queen’s Park Oval,” Cozier continued, “a 17-year-old school boy, batting No. 11 and considered a left-arm spin bowler, came onto the scene playing for Barbados. He moved up the order, and in 1946 he and Walcott put on an unbeaten partnership of 574 of which Worrell had 255 not out and Walcott 314 not out. “Sir Everton Weekes,” Cozier noted, “was out for a duck, but he more than made up for it in subsequent innings at the Oval.”

In the feature address, Bartholomew was high in praise for the Three Ws. “It was all for one and one for all,” he declared, noting that when Weekes was out for a duck at the Oval, Worrell and Walcott made up for it. It is a good thing that God made night or else Worrell and Walcott would still be at the crease.”Bartholomew also spoke about Worrell’s captaincy on the tour of Australia in 1960-61. At the end of the tour there was a ticker-tape farewell for the team, with 200,000 people lining the streets of Melbourne chanting “We want Frank”. West Indies lost the series 2-1 but featured in the first-ever tied Test. “We won the hearts of everyone in Australia and indeed the world.”In 1963, West Indies toured England and were again very popular. On that occasion, West Indies won the series 3-1. Worrell retired after the series, and died in 1967.The day before he died, Bartholomew recalled, Worrell told the nurses, “‘Please remove the drips … I am tired, very tired’. And so, the captain declared his innings retired hurt, before he reached his half-century, at the age of 42. The king is dead, long live the king. It was the worst of times.” Bartholomew thanked the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Committee for keeping the “memory of the King alive … it was the best of times.” Weekes and Ganteaume were presented with memorial plaques.