Houghton laments Zimbabwe’s ‘embarrassingly bad’ defeat

Zimbabwe Head Coach Dave Houghton has bemoaned his aspect’s woeful begin to the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup Qualifier Africa Remaining 2023, describing their loss to Namibia on Wednesday as “embarrassingly unhealthy”.

He gave the damning post-match evaluation after watching his expenses hunch to a seven-wicket defeat by the hands of the event hosts on the Wanderers Cricket Floor in Windhoek.

“I’ve simply spent fairly a little bit of time within the changeroom with the staff after that recreation and, once you ask what went incorrect, so far as I’m involved, we received all the things incorrect,” Houghton stated.

“We have been terrible immediately, embarrassingly unhealthy. I feel it’s in all probability one of many worst video games that I’ve ever been related to in a Zimbabwean jersey,” he added. 

“Why it occurs, I’ve completely no thought. We prepare arduous, we prepare with specifics. The fellows labored actually arduous, they’d sufficient vitality coming into this recreation, however we batted poorly and adopted that up by bowling poorly and our fielding was common.”

Aside from Zimbabwe and Namibia, the opposite groups collaborating on this regional qualifier event are Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

All of the groups will play towards one another in a round-robin format, with the highest two sides on the factors desk qualifying for the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2024 to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the US of America.

“It’s a horrible begin to this event, however we do know we’ve received to win the subsequent 5 video games and nonetheless qualify,” Houghton lamented after the loss to Namibia.

“That’s essential for us, however not my greatest day and definitely not my happiest day. In truth, I really feel like we must be all out right here apologising to our followers.” 

The pinnacle coach stated he was not going to make any excuses for his aspect’s struggles with the bat, insisting that the wicket on the Wanderers was a superb batting strip.

“If you find yourself not enjoying notably effectively and when you’ve got misplaced a bit of little bit of confidence as now we have, we see demons within the wicket once we bat, however once we bowl there are not any demons within the wicket,” he stated. 

“So, I checked out that wicket and it appears a superb batting strip and I might have thought we’d rating 170-180 comfortably. 

“We gave quite a lot of wickets away, we weren’t batting positively, we’re batting recklessly in the meanwhile . . . I believed it was actually a superb batting wicket they usually proved it once they chased.”

Houghton stated it was essential for Zimbabwe to rapidly recover from the defeat and give attention to returning to successful methods, beginning with their subsequent qualifier match towards Tanzania on the United Cricket Floor in Windhoek on Thursday afternoon.

“We are able to’t dwell on these losses. It’s essential they recognise how unhealthy a loss that was – which is what I’ve simply given them within the changeroom – however it’s a fast turnaround and that’s a superb factor we are able to put all of it proper tomorrow afternoon and get ourselves on the board with a win after which begin our march in direction of qualifying,” he stated.

“We are able to’t form of relaxation on our laurels and suppose we’re an even bigger aspect than the remaining. We’ve received to show up and play correct cricket. We didn’t do it immediately.” 

ZIMBABWE’S NEXT MATCHES AT ICC MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER AFRICA 2023: