The eternal comparison to great men’s cricket.
In recent weeks the newspapers, TV programs and the Internet have been full of it. Everyone has an opinion about ZAMI Cricket. It is so slow, they are constantly on the ground, they sometimes miss the mat. So what?
If you keep comparing it to great men’s cricket, it is indeed not very good. But on its own, it is really quite entertaining.
It must be understood that ZAMI cricketers, have no in-house youth academy, no dedicated coaches, no youth league and no working scouting apparatus. We just have to compete with the men in youth. Comments like, hahaha they have a ZAMI cricketer on the team, or that your friends in high school are laughing at you because you have a ZAMI cricketer on your team, are therefore common.
Should you excel once during a ZAMI match, there is immediate doubt that you are a ZAMI cricketer. But throwing 6 balls on the wicket, making 100 runs and holding catches also happen accidentally.
I had such a situation, last Saturday. Despite several attempts, he failed to throw it outside the lines. You also know that the consequence then is that usually a wicket also falls immediately, because the batsman, also a zami cricketer, does not expect a ball on the wicket at all.
A few high fives from my teammates later, because the batsman completely misses the ball, the umpire calls “over bowled”.
Oops, forgot my wide. A wicket maiden bowled. A little disappointment grabs VCC’s ZAMI 1 by the throat. That’s not neat Ed, I am told by the captain.
In the end, after ZAMI style batting innings of 140 all out, we win by holding the opponent to 104 runs. Seems very handsome, but fortunately we nicely bowled the minimum 25% of extras.
Sunday morning,
I am taken from my bed, put in a car and driven to a suburb of Paris. I am not arrested, it is said, but only taken for questioning.
There is doubt as to whether or not I am a ZAMI cricketer. I could have seen it coming.
On the spot, I have to bowl 2 overs. Prove you are a ZAMI cricketer.
19 runs against, 3 wides, 1 no-ball and 3 useless appeals further, they seem to have finally figured out that I am actual ZAMI cricketer. They let me go and no further case will be filed.
Fortunately, next week I get to stand on field 6 and a half in a puddle of rain again with my friends to cricket….. Because ZAMI cricket is also cricket yes.
Ed Strating, ZAMI Cricketer