In a perfect world, there would be a very different Zimbabwe team at the World Cup.

Had there been no boycotts, anti-government demonstrations, strikes or pay disputes, the team might even have a chance of making the next round.

But, as it is, fans in Zimbabwe have been left to dream what might have been.

Richie Kaschula, until last year the only full-time selector for Zimbabwe cricket, has taken this a step further by naming his own ideal team, fantasy cricket in a country where dreams are easily crushed.

The starting line-up does not contain one player from the 15-man squad which has gone to the West Indies.

Kaschula and his associates named this perfect Zimbabwe team: Grant Flower, Murray Goodwin, Craig Wishart, Colin de Grandhomme, Travis Friend, Sean Ervine, Tatenda Taibu (captain), Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut, Tinashe Panyangara and Ray Price.

The remaining four in the squad could come from Charles Coventry, Stuart Carlisle, Alistair Campbell, Douglas Hondo, Barney Rogers, Dion Ebrahim, Trevor Gripper, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya and Edward Rainsford as well as several others.

Goodwin left through an individual pay dispute while the others in the unofficial starting 11 claim they are collectively owed money (68,000 dollars in Blignaut's case).

And they have sworn never to play for Zimbabwe while chairman Peter Chingoka and chief executive Ozias Bvute remain at the helm.

The exile list does not even include Zimbabwe's finest batsman of recent years Andy Flower, who with Henry Olonga fled the country in 2003 after condemning the government of Robert Mugabe for "the death of democracy" and wearing black armbands.

Neither man has been back to Zimbabwe since.

Andy Flower is a leading batsman for Essex in the English county championship and has been so for the past four years or so.

Olonga pursues a music career.

Grant Flower is also with Essex and appears frequently for them.

Goodwin is with Sussex, often scoring centuries - three years ago he topped the English county averages. He currently plays for the province of Border in South Africa.

Wishart has given up the game but remains fit.

De Grandhomme plays in New Zealand and awaits his nationalisation qualification.

Travis Friend, a big hitting all-rounder, is playing under the wing of David Houghton, who is coach to Worcestershire; Sean Ervine is with Hampshire but winters in Perth.

Tatenda Taibu, an inspiring captain and live-wire wicket-keeper, is now in Namibia and who played in Bangladesh for a while after he quit the Zimbabwe job.

Former captain Heath Streak, played 187 games for Zimbabwe, claimed 237 wickets at medium pace and made almost 3,000 runs with the bat, plays his cricket in England with Warwickshire.

Ray Price, nephew of triple golf major winner Nick Price, turns out for Worcestershire.

Other names on the fringes nominated by Kaschula are Hamilton Mazakadsa, who was left out of the official Zimbabwe 15, but who he believes is a quality player just going through a difficult patch.

Mazakadsa took a century off West Indies on his Test debut at the age of 18.

However, only three from the full list will be in the West Indies next month.

Those not fulfilling cricket careers around the world, mainly in England, Australia and South Africa, have gone into hunting, farming, commentating, sales and other occupations in Zimbabwe.

Many of the "exiles" here would not return to the Zimbabwe side whatever the inducement.

But several have expressed an interest if the situation changes, if decent contracts are offered, debts paid and the two Zimbabwe Cricket chiefs stand down or are deposed.

Meanwhile, a group of inexperienced youngsters carries the flag in the West Indies for Zimbabwe, conscious that they are there only because of the controversies which have sidelined better players.

(Article: Copyright © 2007 AFP)