By Sports Correespondent| Zimbabwe has beaten Sri Lanka and on the second day, lost to Australia.

There are several reasons why Zimbabwe lost to Australia at the Netball World Cup on Saturday, but there are a few that cannot be whisked away without mention.

Key of these is: the one of failure to utilise the tall human resources inside the Zim camp. The second one is on the lack of sports shoes, and lack of motivation.

Watching the match with Australia, it was apparent that the opponent’s team was at an advantage due to the factor of height. Australia has several tall, fit players, while Zimbabwe has only one, Joice Takaidza.

But there were several tall Zimbabwean players sitting idle in the bench (3), some clad in thick green suits, meaning that even if called for duty, they would not be ready to play.  Why were these left out?  This is one question the coach will have to answer.

It is true and established that into Friday, the Zim Gems did not have the appropriate professional shoes for the slippery surface in the Netball Arena at Liverpool.

Later on Friday, they were given £40 each. A professional level Asics pair of shoes costs £79. Following the media coverage by ZimEye, sponsors rushed around late Friday to buy shoes for the girls.

Even then, there was little cooperation from the organisers and two other sponsors, Gibbs Manonga and Suku McKenzie found it difficult to assist on the purchasing of new shoes as players walked away visibly fearing reprisals, punishment, for talking to members of the public, something they said they are barred from doing. For days, relatives have told ZimEye the players have been in deep fear of communicating their plight.

On Wednesday morning the Netball President, Leticia Chipandu said donors concerned about the players’ welfare should “go to hell.” She said this is because she is answerable only to the government of Zimbabwe.

The netball players’ fund is down by $39,000.

While the latest official comment was sought at the time of writing, a staffer with the visiting Zim delegation told ZimEye: “the girls had 4 pairs of brand new shoes bought from Zimbabwe.”

However, the staffer could not confirm that the shoes that the girls had were the recommended ones.

This exposed that none of those shoes are appropriate for the slippery surface of the Echo Arena Netball premises.

Footing experts told ZimEye, for netballers to make it, they need at least the Asics.

By Wednesday evening, at least 3 players had been injured, and sources reveal this was to do with lack of the right shoes. They needed the Asics.

Expert reviews list the Asics as the most affordable among the range of quality shoes for the game. The below ranking by the respected UK Independent paper, put Asics on number 1 for affordability, and number 2 on quality.

The review reads in part: Asics are a great first pair for someone looking to elevate their footwear to enhance their game. The high sides mean these are very comfortable and supportive, especially on ankles, which can be a player’s weak spot. The gel system is based on a special kind of silicon that enables optimal shock absorption, meaning jumping in these trainers is a breeze. The natural bounciness of the sole helps you to feel light on your feet. The extra-ribbed sole provides essential grip, which results in good performance on slippery outdoor courts as well as indoors.

Given the harrowing experiences they went through the Zim Gems should be commended for putting up a strong fight.

Meanwhile, checking on the players on Saturday evening, the situation appeared to have improved. ZimEye will continue to monitor for their welfare.