There was a time when the Zimabawean side had the likes of Heath Streak, Paul Strang, Neil Johnson and Murray Goodwin to name a few and there were a crop of players coming up the ranks. The team had some top-class all-rounders and fielding was always their plus point as it had all the ammunition to take on the rest of the world.
There were times when they surprised the Aussies and sometimes came up as the better team against India or Pakistan. But over the years a country which boasted such briliant all-rounders have gone down to the bonkers and all that good work done by the Flower brothers and the above mentioned players were sold right down the river.
As years passed by ZImbabwean cricket had gone from bad to worse and they also lost their Test status which is the biggest low thay managed to reach, thanks to their government and internal problems. Zimbabwe were no longer a force to reckon with and it was just a formality to tour Zimbabwe as different countries started sending their 'A' teams instead of a full strength team.
A country in turmoil, which does not even have money to pay their players, has liitle motivation to compete at the highest level. In a situation where it cannot be worse than this, a Test victory against Pakistan might just act as a ray of hope for the Zimbabweans as their battle against poverty does not seem like something which will go away pretty soon.
But people connect with winners and this victory can serve as motivation for a lot of people as it came under adversity. Perhaps the victory might just show them light at the end of the tunnel as we all await to see them fight back at the international arena which will just about make the sport a bit more interesting.
Countries sending their 'A' teams does not help the host country as it hits the viewership as well as the attendance at different venues. Probably one way of helping Zimbabweans is to atleast send some well known players through which they can make some money. It might not still be enough but good enough for a starter.
