Zimbabwean and Warwickshire player Trevor Penney has gone many years without having to endure a winter in either England or Zimbabwe

John Ward02-Nov-2001Zimbabwean and Warwickshire player Trevor Penney has gone many years without having to endure a winter in either England or Zimbabwe. Unlike Graeme Hick, he continues to play an active role in assisting the country where he learned his cricket. He talks to John Ward about his role in the current Zimbabwean season.I have a new three-year contract with Warwickshire, just playing one-day cricket. That was their choice, not mine; they said they wanted to play some younger players in the longer game, but I was always a first choice for one-day cricket, so they still wanted me to do that. They also agreed to give me a benefit year in 2003, which is what I have been waiting for all these years, so I certainly wasn’t going to cause a stir.I had a good one-day season, the best I have played in the last two or three years. I won a couple of `Man of the Match’ awards, batting at number five or six, which didn’t give me the chance to make any really big scores, but I played well. We got to the semi-final of the NatWest and the quarter-final of the Benson and Hedges, and came third in the national league. So, although we didn’t win anything, it was a good one-day season really.I have the same contract now, so it should be the same again next year. This time last year it was hard for me to accept it, and I couldn’t really believe it. No one can, but it’s the way of county cricket, once they make up their minds about you, and you’re stuck at the club and can do nothing about it. But you never know; after two more years with Warwickshire, if they want to keep me on or if another club wants me, we can see from there.I would still like to play first-class cricket, and this next year a couple of players might be leaving, so I might be lucky enough to get a few games.This year in Zimbabwe I’m the Zimbabwe A team coach, the Board XI coach and helping out with Mashonaland when the Logan Cup starts. We’ve had a very good two weeks with the Board XI doing squad training, with everyone coming up from Bulawayo, Kwekwe and Mutare. We have excellent conditions at Country Club; [Academy coach] Davy Houghton lets us use all the facilities here, so we’re very lucky.The guys all look good. We have a few of the experienced players down from the international team, the Whittalls and the Campbells, and they’ve fitted in really well. It looks as though they’re keen to impress and get back in.We’ve got a good side; we’ve got pace – Brighton Watambwa is fit again – and Campbell Macmillan bowling fast and well. Pommie Mbangwa is our captain and he will fulfill Bryan Strang’s role, nice and steady. We have Guy Whittall to back up the seamers, and then we have Price, [Paul] Strang, Viljoen and Barney Rogers as the spinners. We have batsmen like Campbell, Vermeulen, Whittall and Blessing Mahwire, who’s in the side as a batsman – he’s not going to bowl much because he’s been injured. It’s a good opportunity for him. I’ve seen him in the nets and I hope he’ll do very well.We’ve just got to go there [to Fochville, South Africa, to play North West] with the attitude that we’re going to give them a really good hiding, and not be too relaxed with the players we have in our side. We know very little about the venue or opposition; it changes so much year by year. We’re playing in Fochville now, not even at Potchefstroom, where their main ground is. So we’ve no idea what the pitch is going to be like, or the opposition.We’re hoping we can have a good season and persuade the South Africans to allow us into their SuperSport series next season. We’ve won so many of the competitions in the last four or five years, that I think it’s best for our cricket. Their B sides have some decent players, but we want to improve and play slightly better players. SuperSport would be brilliant for our guys.I’m still involved with Old Hararians Sports Club, but not as fully as in past years; I just wanted a bit of a break this year. I’ve only played one game for them so far, against BAC when I batted at number eight or nine. I’m not going to play that much, and especially with the Board XI fixtures coming up, I might get one game in the next two months. But it suits me, and I’d like to help OH again. Probably in January and February I’ll start playing a lot more.Paul Strang is the new captain of OH. We’ve won the double now, national league and knockout, for the last three years, but this year there are a few players who have left, like Sean Ervine, Colin Delport, Dirk Viljoen and others. Dave Houghton sent some away with the Academy, spreading them around the country, while some have gone of their own accord, not because they want to leave OH but for other reasons that I don’t want to mention.So from being the best team in the country, we’re now struggling a bit. Bryan Strang has just recently said he’s leaving and going to Harare Sports Club, so this weekend we have Ryan Butterworth as our captain and most experienced player, and he’s only 21. So we’ve battled with our squad, which is quite annoying for me. We’ve had three or four really good years, but it looks like this year isn’t going to be that flash.In the Vigne Cup [local Mashonaland league] we have a better side, as Raymond Price plays, as do both Strangs, Viljoen, Delport, Richie Sims and myself. We’ve got a very good side, but as soon as it’s national league guys are spread out all over the country. OH will have to rebuild again.I think Geoff Marsh has come in as coach with some good views. I think he wants people with a real desire to play for Zimbabwe, not just to turn up. He’s big on playing his best team, but that’s going to take him six months to work out, because he hasn’t looked at the B players yet.We’re struggling at the moment; once you get into a run of bad form as a team it’s very hard to get out of it. We’ve had it in county cricket before, and once you start losing you’re blaming things and losing focus. We need a couple of good performances, one win, and then I’m sure we’ll be on our way.Andy Flower is the one guy who can rise above that, but I feel sorry for him in the one-dayers; sometimes he could go on and get a hundred, but he tries to push the rate up for the side and gets out in the thirties and forties. He could go on to bigger scores if other players were staying in there with him.I think Stuey Carlisle has played well in the last few games, apart from silly run-outs. But when the team is losing everyone seems not to play so well, but that’ll come. Kev Curran is going out there as assistant coach and he’s going to be a huge plus; he’s the most confident guy you can get.It’s all looking good. People must stop looking at the last 13 or 14 games and start looking at the next one. That’s what I don’t think people are doing at the moment.