Zimbabwe coach for India series blasted BCCI’s decision to send a second string team to the African nation for three match ODIs and three-match T20 series. He issued a threat to the Indian team that Zimbabwe will bundle them out at a seam bowling friendly pitch to teach India a lesson that next team India will not send a string team.
While captain MS Dhoni has played a total of 275 ODIs, the rest of the squad cumulatively have 83 matches to their credit.
Apart from Ambati Rayudu (31 matches) and Axar Patel (22 matches), the others have played total 30 matches together. When he was asked to comment on this, Nitin lambasted the BCCI selectors, “you send us a team that is not your strongest team, we’re going to put them under the carpet.”
He also spoke about how this is determined to develop the cricket in Zimbabwe, who have fallen after taking a surge in 1990’s and first a few years of 2000s. Ntini has himself made a mark for himself playing for South Africa. He was a part of formidable bowling department of South Africa.
“We’re sick and tired of waiting around for South Africa to send their A team,” he said. “We want to compete with the big boys. We’re creating a new venture here. We want to make sure that this country gets to play more games, and if you send us a team that is not your strongest team, we’re going to put them under the carpet so that they go home and tell people that they need to send their strongest team.”
Ntini is part of a new coaching set-up built for Zimbabwe dressing room. Former South African allrounder Lance Klusener and former Zimbabwe captain and wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu are in his team.
The team has also got a new captain Graeme Cremer.
The Indian selectors rested several top class players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan. Dhoni last time toured Zimbabwe when Sourav Ganguly was Indian captain in 2005.
However in the last couple of Zimbabwe tour, India have won the series 5-0 whitewash in 2013 and 3-0 whitewash in 2015.