admin
Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
THE Chevrons are looking to make full use of the available time they have to lay the foundation for a successful tour of the United Kingdom. The team were recently given the greenlight by the Sports Commission, to resume activities, and started training on Thursday, in a bi-secure bubble environment.
The training in Harare is being conducted by coach Lalchand Rajput and his technical team.
Zimbabwe are set to play eight matches across formats in Ireland.
The five-match T20I series will get the tour underway on August 27 while the ODIs, which are part of the 2023 ICC World Cup Super League, will be between September 8 and September 13.
The Chevrons will then head for Scotland, for three T20Is, in Edinburgh, between September 15 and 19.
“Right now, we are in the process of finalising a few issues, regarding the squad, and the travelling party will be named afterwards,’’ said Zimbabwe Cricket spokesperson, Darlington Majonga.
“The team will be training in Harare and will leave on August 19 (next Thursday).
“We will be in some sort of quarantine, when we arrive there, but we will be able to train.
“Initially, we were supposed to start the tour in Belfast but the hosts changed the schedule, to suit the visiting team.
“Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is part of UK and Zimbabwe is classified in the coronavirus red zone by the UK government, and it required us to embark in a 10-day quarantine upon arrival.
“So, the new arrangement is that we start in Dublin and then Belfast.’’
Zimbabwe were originally scheduled to play Ireland, between August 6 and 24, in Belfast and Bready.
The Emerging team is in Namibia, where they are scheduled to play their first T20 today against the hosts, who are preparing for the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup.
Five Under-19 players have been named in the 15-man Zimbabwe Emerging squad for three T20 games, and as many 50-over matches, in Windhoek.
Two of the players in the squad have been short-listed, among the reserves for the Chevrons squad, set to tour Ireland and Scotland.
The Ireland senior squad have been preparing for the upcoming series with a training camp at Millfield School in Somerset.
High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, Richard Holdsworth, said they were leaving no stone unturned, in their preparations.
“As part of our squad’s preparations, for the important Zimbabwe series later this month, we were keen to lock in a solid week’s training camp at a venue with high-quality facilities and residential options close by.
“I’d like to thank Mark Garraway and Millfield School for hosting the squad and supporting what has been a great week so far on the centre wicket, nets and indoor facilities.
“The opportunity to spend time together, in the lead-up to the Zimbabwe matches will, hopefully, put the squad in good stead, particularly allowing an opportunity for team bonding, especially for the newer members of the squad.
“The last 18 months have been so unusual for all concerned, that we believe opportunities like this training camp will be beneficial, not only in a physical sense, but mentally as well.
“The bubble life, for all of its necessary outcomes, does hinder that normal sense of collegiality in a team sport like ours, and I know the guys have appreciated the opportunity greatly,” said Holdsworth.
Ireland training squad:
Andrew Balbirnie, Kevin O’Brien, Harry Tector, George Dockrell, Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh, Barry McCarthy, Curtis Campher, Josh Little, Neil Rock, William Porterfield, William McClintock, Graham Hume, Ben White, Andy McBrine, Shane Getkate, Craig Young, Graham Kennedy, Mark Adair, Tom Mayes.
Online Reporter