'Death bowling needs to improve'

Zimbabwe skipper Elton Chigumbura has implored his team to improve their bowling at the 'death' in their World Cup matches.

“We have to improve how we are bowling at the death and sooner we do the better for the team and looking at the games we have played it has cost us,” Chigumbura said.

“Chris Gayle is a hard guy to bowl to when he starts hitting, so some of the plans you might try to put them into play but maybe the way we bowled our execution wasn't right.
“The percentage was maybe 80 out of a 100 on execution. It has cost us and it's not the first game that we are giving away too many runs at the end.

“We just have to go out and work on our last 15 overs.“It is a good positive for the team that we are batting well so it's a matter of polishing up one department which is our death bowling and if we can do that then we hopefully can have a good game with the ball and the bat.”

Chigumbura remained optimistic that Zimbabwe, under new coach Dav Whatmore, could still reach the quarterfinals by winning their remaining three games against Pakistan, Ireland and India.

“There are three more games to go and obviously we're going to take them one game at a time,” he said.

“Hopefully we can keep the form we have with the bat and if we can work hard on our bowling and give fewer runs than we have given so far than we have a good chance of getting a positive result against Pakistan.

“But we have to play good cricket on the day in all departments, including our fielding.”
Chigumbura said it could have been a completely different game if Gayle had been given out leg before wicket on the first ball he faced after looking plumb in front.