A week or so we asked whether Zimbabwe should be readmitted to test cricket.We came down on the 'no' side, but not for cricketing reasons.
In 2010, Zimbabwe have made a number of impressive strides forward on the cricket field. They beat West Indies in the Caribbean (ok, so does everyone nowadays) in a Twenty 20 match and then followed this up by winning the first game in a five match one day series. They did lose the series 4-1 eventually, but these successes have proved to be no flash in the pan.
They then beat Australia and Pakistan in Twenty 20 matches in the run up to the World T20. They were only warm-up matches and they failed in the main event, but any win against Australia in particular is something to celebrate.
Now they have beaten India twice and Sri Lanka once in a triangular one day competition being played in Zimbabwe. Both opponents have rested key players, but it is the manner of the victories that have been so impressive.
In the first win over India they chased down 286 to win with ten balls to spare. Then they completely outplayed the same Indian side that included players like Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Amit Mishra in the second game. After restricting India to 194/9, they chased down the target with 70 balls to spare. That is a performance that even a rampant Australian side would be proud of.
Then yesterday, Sri Lanka had them on the rack. Tillakaratne Dilshan had finally found some form with 78, but when he was out at 122/0 in the 21st over, Zimbabwe's spinners calmly got their side back into the game before they eventually dismissed their more illustrious opponents for 236. Then the batsmen again calmly went about their work, Brendan Taylor hit an unbeaten 119 and Zimbabwe eased to an eight wicket win.
And it is the calmness and seeming certainty that they were going to win each time that has been so impressive. Tendulkar, Dhoni and Sehwag for India, and Sangakkara and Jayawardene for Sri Lanka may have been missing, but both line ups are still packed full of experienced supposedly better players than Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe are certainly more impressive than Bangladesh. In fact take away Tamim Iqbal and Shakib, and Bangladesh would lose to Zimbabwe every time.
If it wasn't for Robert Mugabe and his vile henchmen then Zimbabwe would be welcomed back into the fold. Unfortunately, he is a rather large problem. So for the time being, Zimbabwe's cricket team will just have to make do with these small but increasinly more significant victories.
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