Dav Whatmore: Zimbabwe need to play more ODIs in order to improve

Whatmore said that had they had enough matches under the belt, Zimbabwe would have dealt with situations better.

By Nishad Pai Vaidya

Auckland: Dav Whatmore, the Zimbabwe coach, has said that his team needs more One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in order to improve in the game. In the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, Zimbabwe got themselves in a good position a couple of times, but failed to finish the job. Had they capitalised on those moments, they could have pushed for victory. Whatmore said that had they had more experience, they could have won those moments. Top 10 batsmen in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of Zimbabwe’s training session ahead of their game against India at Auckland, Whatmore said that they had some exciting talent, “I’ve been with this team on a day to day basis. And, I have had a lot of experience working with teams. I can honestly say that the potential that exists with this Zimbabwe team is exciting.” Top 10 bowlers in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

Whatmore said that had they had enough matches under the belt, Zimbabwe would have dealt with situations better. “The problem is that we haven’t had enough matches. If we had enough matches, then I am sure certain defining moments, we would be equal to it. We would not be going home on Sunday. We would be playing in the second round. But, it’s been a good experience,” he said. Top 10 fielders in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

Brendan Taylor, Zimbabwe’s premier batsman, will be heading to Nottinghamshire as a Kolpak player after the World Cup and Whatmore said that they will miss him. “It is true we will be missing Brendan Taylor, who is going to Nottingham, and they are very very lucky to have him. Despite that, we feel we have got a number of players who make this team really strong in terms of what they offer,” Whatmore said. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Pool-wise Team Standings

Concluding the session, Whatmore said, “I am not sure how many games we have played in 2014 in one-day cricket but it is really not much at all.” Whatmore has a point as Zimbabwe played only 16 ODIs in 2014. They certainly need to play a lot more. Being a Test playing nation, it is quite sad that they have played a few games in a calendar year. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)

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