American diver Abby Johnson to dub it the Swamp. | Forum
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Aug 13 '18
It was difficult to tell whether Vusi Sibanda was more uncomfortable behind the microphone when Zimbabwe crashed to 164 all out against New Zealand than if he had been batting out in the middle. Cheap Air Max 2017 . His team-mates were being shot out by the short ball, a delivery that has been Sibandas nemesis for as long as he has been playing. To call them out for their shortcomings was more than Sibanda could bring himself to do.Its easy for me sitting up here to criticise but I always try and be a bit more careful on what I say. New Zealand have one of the best bowling attacks around. Its just that our batters didnt give themselves a fair chance to be able to score big. The surface itself is a good batting wicket - there are no demons. Had we given ourselves a chance, Im sure we would have put up a decent total, Sibanda told ESPNcricinfo between innings. Its easy to nail people and if that was me and I had done the same thing, people would be saying the same thing as well. I know the feeling and its not great. I have been hurting to see that and I feel for them as well.The conflict of interest of being a current player as part of the commentary team aside, Sibanda, who has been part of the system for 12 years, is as well placed as anyone to assess where the problems lie. According to him, it is not as if there is a skills shortage, because Zimbabwes schools continue to produce technically correct cricketers, even if many of them cannot go on to pursue the game professionally. It is more a case of being overawed by the occasion, on the few chances Zimbabwe get to play international cricket.Weve all got the basics, we know how we need to go about things technically. Its more the mindset and also getting used to batting long. Guys have to ask themselves, how long can you keep doing the basics? The mind has to then take over.And Sibanda is a classic example of when that doesnt happen.He has been chronically unable to translate his talent into international tons. In 14 Tests, he has two fifties but no hundreds. In 127 ODIs, he has only two hundreds, one of which was against a Full Member. He averages under 25 in all three formats internationally.With a record that has not improved enough over a 12-year international career, the second half of which was full of selectorial snubs - Sibanda was left out in series against South Africa and Bangladesh in 2010, the New Zealand tour in 2012, dropped during ODI series against Bangladesh (2013) and Afghanistan (2014), left out of the 2015 World Cup squad and the tour of Pakistan later that year - the sun could be setting on him. That was the view of the local newspaper NewsDay in September 2015, but Sibanda remains focused on getting his spot back.He was convinced he had done enough to be part of the squad for the ongoing series against New Zealand and does not know why he was sidelined. I thought I was going to be part of the squad, Id done all the preparations. I didnt get to speak to Makhaya [Ntini] or [Tatenda] Taibu, but I am pretty sure they will speak to me at some point. Its obviously sad, but theres not a lot I can do about it.That communication breakdown is symptomatic of Zimbabwe crickets self-termed transition under new chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani. The starting XI for the first Test was only announced close to midnight on the night before the match, although the squad had been told they would find out after their morning practice session. Many of them spent an anxious afternoon trying to ascertain whether they had made the cut.Perhaps even Sibanda was among them because when he arrived at Queens on Tuesday afternoon, he discovered the full extent of Tino Mawoyos injury. A short exchange between the two men went like this:I heard you got hit again, Sibanda said to Mawoyo.No, not again, Mawoyo replied. I was only hit once and you were there.Sibanda was part of the Zimbabwe A side that played against the touring New Zealanders in Harare and had to stand in as an opener when Mawoyo was injured.But youll be fine to play tomorrow? Sibanda asked Mawoyo.No, Im not going to play. In the end, Zimbabwe chose to pick the openers from the selected squad and used Chamu Chibhabha and Brian Chari in the roles. While Chibhabha showed some promise, Chari struggled, although he had the added responsibility of keeping wicket for two days. Now, with Mawoyo yet to have a full net, Sibanda may be in line and despite not being in action for a week, he believes he will be ready.You dont lose a lot from not doing much for five or six days. I played a three-day game against the New Zealanders in Harare and even though my score wasnt great I felt good. I will still be prepared to play but it depends on what the thinking is, he says.Sibanda made a duck and 37 in that match and has scored just two fifties in his last nine international innings, which does not scream fine form. But taken in its context - Zimbabwe have very few players who have been among the runs recently - it may be good enough, especially when coupled with Sibandas experience. Im feeling in good nick. From the World Cup up until the last series we had against India, I thought everything was good, he says. Im feeling good and my confidence is up there.If he does not get the call-up, then he is eyeing the proposed triangular between Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and West Indies, which could be played in early November. Hopefully I do get a gig then so I can try and fight for my spot.But if he is not picked, does Sibanda think his international career may be reaching its end?No, not yet. I know Ive played for 12 years. So Id say, hopefully, I have another four or so. I feel fit and strong. If my body is still going strong, I will just push for as long as I can. If I am still able to keep up with the intensity level, then I will keep playing.Thats what a lot of Zimbabwes players are likely to say when asked if they will continue trying to make it in a system that does not always appear to be fully functional. Zimbabwe Cricket has suffered as much as the country in the economic downturn and the effects are widespread. From a domestic structure struggling to take shape to players salaries that are often unpaid, there are times when the game, like Sibandas career, appears to be sinking, but the man himself holds out hope that both can be resurrected.The game is always going to be there. They are putting so much effort into the restructure. Its only a matter of time when things to get back into shape, Sibanda said. I believe things will change eventually. It doesnt matter when it happens or how long it takes, things will get back to where they should have been if things were done in the right way. Wholesale Air Max Shoes . -- In a span of seven Washington Redskins offensive plays, Justin Tuck sacked Robert Griffin III four times. Cheap Air Max Online . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday.http://www.airmaxoutletsale.us/ . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. RIO DE JANEIRO -- Katie Ledecky even upstaged Michael Phelps at the Olympics on Friday.Ledecky set a world record by winning the womens 800-meter freestyle by an astounding 11.38 seconds. Shes only the second woman to sweep the three longest freestyle races at the Olympics and the first one to do it since the 1968 Mexico City Games.After winning four gold medals at the Rio de Janeiro Games and looking unbeatable, Phelps finally ran out of steam in what was the final individual race of his career -- unless he decides to come out of retirement again.The frenetic finishes in the swimming pool capped a day that included a big escape by the U.S. mens basketball team and a stunning loss by the womens soccer squad.Phelps was seeking his 23rd Olympic gold medal and his fourth straight in the 100-meter butterfly, but he was denied by Singapores Joseph Schooling, who got off to a blistering start and built a lead that even Phelps couldnt overcome.With Anthony Ervin winning the mens 50 freestyle and Maya DiRado taking gold in the womens 200 backstroke, the Americans would have had a clean sweep were it not for the silver by Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history.Ledecky finished well before Jazz Carlin of Britain touched the wall for silver. She joined Debbie Meyer as the only women to sweep the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle races at the same Olympics.The United States womens soccer team was eliminated by Sweden in the quarterfinals, a startling loss for the four-time Olympic champions that left Hope Solo without a shot at gold but with plenty of bitterness.The U.S. goalkeeper criticized the Swedes for the way they played in beating the Americans 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw -- a result that means the worlds top-ranked team will miss out on an Olympic gold-medal match in womens soccer for the first time.Solo was angered by Swedens defensive style and branded the team a bunch of cowards.The best team did not win today, she said. I strongly and firmly believe that.Said Sweden coach Pia Sundhage, who once coached Solo when she was in charge of the U.S. national team: Its OK to be a coward if you win.Carmelo Anthony, Kyrie Irving & Co. survived their second straight strong challenge at the Rio Games, fending off Serbia 94-91 when Bogdan Bogdanovic missed a 3-pointer from the left wing with 2 seconds left that would have tied it.Kevin Durant grabbed the rebound to keep the Americans unbeaten 48 hours after they barely escaped against Australia.On a day that began with another round of rain, South Americas first Olympics lingered under clouds of grief, doping and disrespect. Cheap Air Max Sale. -Brazils government declared a day of official mourning for a Rio Olympics police officer who died after being shot in the head making a wrong turn into one of the citys slums.-A Chinese swimmer, Polish weightlifter and Bulgarian steeplechaser have been sanctioned for doping offenses , which are being handled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for the first time.-And in a serious breach of judo etiquette with political overtones, an Egyptian judoka refused to shake the hand of his Israeli opponent after his loss.Other highlights from Day 7:CLOSE CALLS : Rafael Nadal, the singles champion at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and Spain teammate Marc Lopez won the mens doubles title. Nadal also reached the semifinals in his bid for a second Olympic singles gold, overcoming his Brazilian opponent and a raucous flag-waving home crowd.BRONZE BOXER : Nico Hernandezs chance for a gold medal ended Friday when he lost to Uzbekistans Hasanboy Dusmatov. With a gnarly gash over his left eye, Hernandez had blurred vision and needed stitches. His consolation: his bronze medal in the light flyweight division ends a medal drought for the American boxers that stretched to 2008.PUIGS PUSH : Tennis player Monica Puig is one victory from Puerto Ricos first gold medal in Olympic history. Puig continued her surprising run by reaching the womens singles final, eliminating two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. Puig is ranked 34th and unseeded but is assured of no worse than a silver medal.AUTO ACCIDENT : A German Olympic canoe coach is fighting for his life after a car accident left him with serious head injuries. Stefan Henze, a canoe slalom silver medalist at the 2004 Games, underwent emergency surgery in a Rio de Janeiro hospital. He and a team official were heading to the athletes village when their taxi was in a wreck.THE SWAMP : In another embarrassment for the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center, a planned practice session had to be called off to give officials more time to clean the green-tinged water -- a four-days-and-counting scenario that prompted American diver Abby Johnson to dub it the Swamp.---AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org---Follow AP Sports Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton ;Cheap MLB Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping cheap nfl jerseys Cheap Jerseys USA China Jerseys Cheap NFL Authentic Jerseys Cheap Jerseys For Sale Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys ' ' '
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