Zimbabwe lost the Test by 34-runs in a tightly contested match at Queens Sports Club, with many feeling the country snatched defeat from the jaws of victory after losing quick wickets in the last hour of the match.
However, in separate interviews, Butcher and Makoni dispelled the talk of bad blood between them saying their arguments were merely based on their love for the sport.
Butcher said it is very normal to have disagreements in coming up with a final team and it is never based on personal differences. “There is no animosity between us. If you sit down to select players, there are bound to be differences. However, they are cricket differences and never personal. We always have these arguments, but in the end we come up with a final team and that was the case against New Zealand,” he said.
“I am happy with the team that we came up with against New Zealand. That was the best that we could come up with owing to injuries to some players. Elton Chigumbura and Graham Creamer were not available for selection. This is the best squad that we could come up with,” he said.
He added that the team was the best they could have come up with and that the players should work on their inability to get runs. “This is the best team that we could come up with and I am happy with their performance. Brendan (Taylor) was superb as well as new boy Malcolm Waller.
We could have won the Test match had we managed to withhold the pressure,” Butcher said. Makoni, who replaced Alastair Campbell as the chairman of the selectors, said differences at selection meetings were very normal.
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“Selection meetings are always volatile and differences between coaches and selectors should be expected. “Coaches mostly look for immediate results while as national selectors we will be looking into the future. For instance, in the game against New Zealand, the coach may have been looking for a win, but we were looking into the future.
“There is no bad blood between me and (Alan) Butcher. The relationship is very professional,” he said. He added that the future looks bright for the team and they should play more games.
“We were in a position to win the Test match, but I think our senior players let us down in this tour. Players such as Tatenda Taibu and Hamilton Masakadza should have batted to maybe a hundred. Taylor, though he reached a 100, could also have batted longer. That is the only way we could have won the game,” he said.
