Once again Zimbabwe cricket is in turmoil, this time, and not unfamiliarly, over the captaincy. On the eve of the team's departure for Sharjah, Heath Streak resigned and the ZCU announced the appointment of 24-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder Brian Murphy as his replacement.

The sad truth is that the captaincy has become a poisoned chalice that nobody wants. When Streak was injured during the one-day series against England and vice-captain Guy Whittall had been dropped, one senior player after another refused to take over, until Alistair Campbell was finally persuaded to take it on. Now he too has been dropped, and somebody else had to be sought out.

Many people, especially the players, still believe Andy Flower would be the best choice. One of the players said that Flower alone had the leadership qualities to hold the team together. But, having controversially sacked Flower after the England tour, ZCU would not be willing to invite him again on a permanent basis if they could help it, and Flower is an outspoken `shop steward' on behalf of the players and an uncompromising opponent of what he sees as politics and interference in the game. He would certainly make demands the ZCU would be unwilling to make were he to be offered the job again.

Brian Murphy has thus been plunged into the job, although initially for the Sharjah tour alone, before he is really ready for it. He does have much captaincy experience, having skippered various age-group teams as well as Cape Town university sides, but is still comparatively new to international cricket. Two years ago he was still at UCT, finishing his degree and with little thought of returning to Zimbabwe, let alone playing international cricket. But he has a good cricketing head on his shoulders and the potential to be a good leader.

Sharjah is hardly the ideal place to start a captaincy career but, the way Zimbabwe are playing at the moment, the only comfortable series would be a home one against Bangladesh, and we have already had that. Four defeats in Sharjah loom on the horizon - unless the players can suddenly pull themselves together and put the recent past behind them. When the spirit is high, the sky is the limit with Zimbabwe cricket.

The problem is that this spirit is rare and unpredictable. One day the team will emerge from this slump and pull off some totally unexpected victory that will set them up for a while again. But nobody would bet on that in a hurry, even at Sharjah.

In this issue we include an interview with Grant Flower, who was the only batsman apart from his brother Andy to show any form against England, even though he had to wait for the last two matches.

© Cricinfo