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Change Your Life! |
Zimbabwe's optimism rises as England face Lord's jinx |
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May 18, 2000 LONDON, MAY 17 (AP) - Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower is increasingly optimistic about his underdog team's chances of beating England in the first cricket test starting at Lord's Thursday.
Zimbabwe, with an even spread of contributors to offset a lack of stars, could provide pesky opposition for England at the start of a long summer involving seven tests and a maximum of seven one-day internationals.
Zimbabwe will join the West Indies and England in a one-day triangular series starting on July 6 in Bristol and finishing with the final at Lord's on July 22.
England enjoys a huge home advantage, while Zimbabwe is yet to beat an English county team in four tours here. But England hasn't won at Lord's since beating the West Indies in 1995.
Flower, in his second stint as captain, is mindful of the Lord's aura and has made it clear that only a win would make his country's first test at the home of cricket meaningful.
"Its not so much just playing the Lord's test match, it winning the Lord's test match that will mean a lot to Zimbabwe cricket," Flower said. "Someone asked me if I will be excited leading the side out on Thursday. Yes, I will be. But that's not all. We've got to perform and perform well to win this test match."
The lack of runs by the top order and injury worries to strike bowlers haven't made preparations easy, but Flower said he has faith in his team to deliver when it really matters.
"We are huge underdogs against a side with a strong bowling attack," he said. "However, I believe in our guys, I believe in our team and I believe we are determined enough to do well.
"I don't say that (underdogs) in a negative way. That's being realistic. But we believe we can win this test and we will be doing everything within our power to ensure that."
While citing his side's batting as the main worry, Flower said: "You've got to be mentally strong to score runs at this level. I don't think we are displaying enough of that."
Zimbabwe has never played a test in England before, and the home side is expected to win easily.
Skipper Nasser Hussain has no sympathy for Zimbabwe and believes it's time to settle a few past scores and embarrassment suffered at the hands of the African amateurs.
The first test between the two nations in Bulawayo in December 1996 ended in a draw with the scores level, the first such occurrence in test cricket.
Hussain, who scored 113 in England's first innings, said: "Some of the deliveries they sent down were close to wides so that we couldn't score. Some of us will remember those moments."
England finished on 204 for six in a nerve-wrecking encounter. The second test in Harare ended in a rain-affected draw.
"When they've beaten us in the odd one-day or two and when their chicken farmer was taking a hat-trick they weren't too sorry," Hussain said. "I remember several of us saying then, `Wait till we get them in our conditions. But, it doesn't take away the fact that they are a good set of lads."
Hussain is seeking England's first home series win since 1998. After the early exit from the World Cup last year, England was beaten 2-1 in Hussain's first series as captain.
England is expected to cap leg spinner Chris Schofield to give him as much exposure as possible before the West Indies arrive for a five-test series here in June.
Schofield, 21, has never played at Lord's but was looking forward to be picked for the test of the summer after overcoming a bout of food poisoning.
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