Last throw of the dice for Mangongo and his Takashinga cronies

From all indications, the powers that be at Zimbabwe cricket have seemingly thrown caution to the wind by summoning Steven 'MFire' Mangongo to be at the helm on an interim basis when Bangladesh arrives for two Tests, three ODI's and two twenty20's, in a move that can largely be construed as a last gasp measure by the organization to utilize Mangongo's well documented influence on the players in resurrecting the Takashinga development programme, lest the national team's fortunes might change going forward.

With Givemore 'Givaso' Makoni as convener of selectors and Mangongo now commander-in-chief for the first time inside the changing room, expect to see aTakashinga XI outfit disguised as Zimbabwe national team to take to the field against Bangladesh come April 17. Ostensibly, the subject of selection will once again hog the limelight in the build up to the series, and already Mangongo has inevitably hinted that he will make changes to the squad that did duty in the Caribbean. Not surprising, if you consider players like Chigumbura, Mushangwe, Matsikenyeri, Shingi Masakadza, Mtombodzi (all from Takashinga) have been brought into the fray.

It will be interesting to see what tactics, if any, Mangongo will apply during the Zimbabwe-Bangladesh matchup and the personnel he will employ to fight for his coaching future. The message has to be clear going into this matchup for all involved that nothing short of competitiveness will suffice in convincing the ICC that Zimbabwe still deserve Test status in front of other aspirants like Ireland.

It was evident in West Indies that the batting department is an ongoing problem for Zimbabwe and the selectors should be worried by the lack of batting quality available to them. In all four innings during the two Tests there were calamitous collapses with scores of 211, 107, 175 and 141 hardly enough to compete at international level. One wonders therefore, how Mangongo will immediately rectify this famine considering he has no firsthand experience of scoring a Test Hundred, let alone simply getting off the mark at this level.

In fairness, what he does have though is passion for the game, and he is a very demanding bloke who believes in the value of preparation. Doubtless, practice sessions will be intense, Lorraine Chivandire will be busy with fitness drills, batters will face a lot of deliveries and bowlers will bowl lots of overs prior to engagement. Although Mangongo's professionalism has in the past come under scrutiny when he coached the A' side last year, there is little doubt he is the best local coach we have strictly basing on the number of players he has produced. He will make sure the lads are in the right frame of mind for the battles that lie ahead.

His style of coaching is rather more psychological than technical, and the temptation is to think that this might just be what the players need to unlock the potential they have shown over the years.

The challenge is to find a reliable top six batting line up that can get 350 on the board in the first innings to set the game up for the bowlers. On merit alone, none of the batters who had a hit in West Indies deserve to be picked for this series, but Zimbabwe's circumstances are so desperate that they have no alternative batting options to choose from that they have to stick with those that failed in the hope that they can miraculously produce innings of substance.

Only Tino Mawoyo scrapped to a well composed half century, and he was the only batsman in four innings to reach this milestone, and this sums up the teams batting deficiencies. On this account and barring fitness concerns, Mawoyo ought to be the first name on that batting list. A product of the country's school system with good wickets, decent coaching courtesy of Hillcrest College, Mawoyo will appeal to Mangongo with his ability to bat the long innings, as he has already done against Pakistan. Technically, he continued to show indecisions with deliveries in that off-stump channel against bowlers with sharp pace, and this is something he will obviously be wary of going into this series.

As a natural opener he doesn't have much competition in that opener's slot. Foreseeably he will not be caught in the politics of selection because he has scored some valuable runs for Mangongo both at Mountaineers and the A' side, so Mangongo will know what he's about. Listening to Campbell in the commentary box in the Caribbean, gave enough hint that he rates Mawoyo, so he will play.

At some point there will be discussions about Vusi Sibanda, not necessarily about his place in the side, but rather which number to bat him. The disappointing issue with Sibanda is his failure to kick on after getting off to a good start. If he was Australian or Indian, then he'd most certainly be dropped, but currently his 'pretty' 20s and 30s are useful because no one else is getting them. These entertaining but brief knocks will however not win Tests, and that is why the thought of moving him down the order ought to be considered.

Sibanda strokes the ball well, and it is beautiful to watch, but rotation of strike is the one element of his game critically missing. He needs to understand that runs do not only come in boundaries, he must strive to construct an innings and realize that in a Test match, there might be periods where bowlers are on top of you and they dry up the runs but the key is to survive these periods and then cash in later when the bowlers are tired. This will not be the first time Sibanda hears this, but it is high time he actually goes out there and do it practically in the middle, where it matters the most.

In the one-off Test match against Bangladesh in 2011, Sibanda took a liking to the Bangladesh attack with scores of 78 and 38 and perhaps there is more on the cards. Being a Takashinga boy will mean he will walk into the side, and if another batsman can be found to open with Mawoyo then Sibanda might be moved down the order. He does struggle with spin and likes the ball coming on, so anywhere in that top four should suit him.

Masakadza's case provides further cause for disquiet. As far as premier batsmen go, if South Africa has king Kallis, Australia have Michael Clarke, and Sri Lanka has Sangakarra then Zimbabwe should have Masakadza but oddly this has not been the case. That image of a young Masakadza, fresh from Churchill high school corridors, lifting his bat high in response to his teammates and fans appreciating his maiden ton, is difficult to erase in the minds of most.

But for a player to announce himself to the Test arena in such an emphatic fashion, but average 24 thirteen years on is mind boggling. Not that Zimbabwean domestic cricket is in the least bit competitive at the minute, but if you ask which batsman is feared the most there can only be one response; 'mdara Hamy.' The inability to convert his domestic form into the big time has overshadowed Masakadza's talent.

He is a strong character, very humble guy off the field of play but he lacks consistency in performance on it. Although his desire to contribute for the team was epitomized when he ran in with his military mediums for a couple of spells during the West Indies tour, even chipping in with a couple of vital breakthroughs, his main job is to bat and scoring 24 an innings is mince meat. This business of scoring the big runs during warm up matches while bullying inexperienced domestic bowlers must stop, and at age 29, the maturity must resonate or else his talents might as well be rendered surplus to requirements even if the decision comes from his Takashinga compatriots.

The captaincy position affords Taylor immunity from exemption but to say he had an average tour of the Caribbean would be an understatement. Truth be told, there was not a great deal of application from Taylor in all his innings, and this is not a trait you would normally associate with a player who stuck it out during the player exodus and look beyond colour to continue playing. No excuses, but the situation was not normal. The support staff had been axed for this tour and amongst them was Grant Flower, a person Taylor credits for his recent batting improvements.

Notwithstanding these issues, as a professional Taylor was supposed to put his differences aside and get on with the job at hand. Not giving his best was unpatriotic and bordered on treason. With Mangongo and his Takashinga agenda now formal, Taylor will once again be required to look past the politics and do all he can to lead the side. He is a vital cog in that batting department, and the country is desperate for his runs on a consistent basis. Bangladesh will know all about him given his heroics in the past, and he must use his reputation to his advantage.

Craig Ervine's record might not be imposing in Test cricket, but he forced his way into the side at the back of impressive performances with the bat during the one-dayers. From an onlooker's perspective, Ervine seemed to have his game organized with his strength being square of the wicket on the off- side. He also and had a bit of fight about him, and on that basis he ought to be given another crack at that number five slot.

That number six slot is a worrying position as in the past Waller has not taken his chances. For starters his technique is flawed with his front foot not going far forward and across enough to cover the line of the ball and this has left him vulnerable against the turning and swinging ball. Much of his cricket is centered on grit and determination, in itself a desirable quality, and while he might excel in the shorter formats he will always struggle at Test level, unless he remedies his technique. Sean Williams might be an alternative, but he's been out of the game one does not know what to expect from him. He is skilled with bat in hand and provides an option when he occasionally turns his arm over.

Traditionally, the team's wicketkeeper batsman comes in at seven but again, Chakabva hasn't looked convincing in this role. To his credit, he has been neat behind the stumps and has taken every chance that has come his way, but it is contributing to the team to the team total that he has fallen short. This is such a key position as two situations may occur; either the number seven is coming to consolidate a good start from the top order, or he's coming in to rebuild the innings after a top order collapse and having to bat with the tail. Matt Prior and Dhoni play this role so well for their respective countries.

Zimbabwe could choose to go via the same route South Africa in giving the gloves to AB De Villiers so as to open up a slot for an extra batsman. Taylor could keep, as he did in the second Test against West Indies after Chakabva injury, but there doesn't seem to be a ready choice to play as an extra batter. Out of the provisional squad announced, the options to choose for this slot are Stuart Matsikenyeri, Sikander Raza, Charles Coventry, Chamu Chibhabha, Kevin Kasuza, and Elton Chigumbura. Horses for courses really!

The bowlers have done reasonably well, and Jarvis will look to continue in his role as the leader of the attack. Chatara did alright in his first outing, and even has the prized wicket of Chris Gayle to show for it. Barring politics, he should be given another run in the side, particularly if you consider the number of left handers in the Bangladesh side and how well Chatara bowled against them. The only criticism that could be leveled against him is that his pace was untroubling especially in his return spells.

Brian Vetori was the chief tormentor the last time Bangladesh came to these parts, and if he is fit enough he should be thrown in. Not only does he bowl at a lively pace, but he can swing the bowl back into the right handers, which is always useful for any attack. He will face stiff competition though from Shingi Masakadza, Ed Rainsford and Tawanda Mpariwa who are all back in the mix.

The spinners department is a cause for concern, a strange thing to say considering how Zimbabwe has centered their attack on spin in recent years. These concerns have largely been caused by Ray Price's lack of penetration and Graeme Cremer's expensive economy rate. It should be accepted that Price is over the hill, and this is not to ignore his contributions in the past, but when you have a spinner in the opposition camp extracting prodigious turn and bounce on the same wicket that your so-called champion spinner is failing to turn it even one millimeter then you know you have a problem. The ability to contain is a key skill, but in the main the game is about taking wickets and scoring runs. Cremer just looked out of sorts, no rhythm at all and did not have the necessary variations to contend with the West Indies onslaught. Utseya, who in the past had been thought of as a one-day specialist came in and turned a few, claiming three scalps in the process, and perhaps it is time to reconsider his role in the Test side as well.

The Bangladesh Tigers roll into Harare at the top of their game, buoyed by their recent series against highly ranked Sri Lanka. They showed consistency and will believe the Zimbabwean tour is a chance to determine the extent of their progress. With Bangladesh you will know it's always trial by spin, and they will have seen Shillingford spinning a web around the Zimbabwe batsmen to realize how vulnerable they are to slow bowling.  

It is up to Zimbabwe to defend their home soil, and they will have the Independence Day holiday to remind them of this responsibility. Mangongo will not succeed in his efforts to rebuild, reconstruct and develop this team if he does not inspire the players, black and white, to accept that they share an equal and shared responsibility and opportunity to ensure a happy future for all.

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Prosper Tsvanhu is a cricket analyst who writes in his own capacity. For feedback and more opinion follow him on Twitter @matsatsansa.