ZIMBABWE cricket head coach Justin Sammons believes that the gulf in class between his team and top-tier opponents like South Africa and New Zealand is evident, but is adamant it can be bridged.
After being knocked out of the ongoing Zimbabwe T20I Tri Series against the two teams following a seven-wicket defeat to South Africa on Sunday, Sammons pointed out that the opposition players are getting picked up in top leagues around the world, gaining valuable exposure and experience that Zimbabwean players lack.
"It's a different level of competition. You can see the quality. I mean, I don't know how many of the South African guys will be playing in the IPL [Indian Premier League]. Same with the New Zealanders. They're getting picked up in those leagues because of their quality," he said at the post-match interview.
In contrast, Zimbabwe's players are yet to break into these leagues, with only a handful of players like seamer Blessing Muzarabani and all-rounder Sikandar Raza having gained experience in international leagues.
Sammons believes that getting younger players into these leagues is crucial for Zimbabwe's development.
"We need to get our younger guys into those leagues, and the exposure and experience they'll gain will go a long way. Bringing it back here makes a big difference."
However, the coach is aware that there is a long way to go before Zimbabwe can compete with the best teams in the world.
With one game left for Zimbabwe to play in this series, a date against New Zealand on Thursday, one area where Zimbabwe needs to improve is the power play. Sammons called for more bravery from the batsmen during this phase, citing the team's struggles to score big runs during the power play overs.
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"We need to be braver, I think, through that phase, definitely," he said.
While Zimbabwe has shown flashes of brilliance, Sammons believes that the team needs to sustain its good performances over longer periods.
"We've competed in certain areas of each game, but we're just not competing for long enough," Sammons said.
"There's maybe five, seven, eight overs where we're then blown out of the water, and then the game's over."
Despite the challenges, Sammons remains optimistic that Zimbabwe can bridge the gap with the top teams.
"We need to be better, but I think we can do it. Series like this allow you to see and identify where those gaps need to be bridged."
