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SYDNEY. – Australia’s immediate sights may be on back-to-back ODI cricket series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand but wicketkeeper Alex Carey says this is where their preparation begins for the 2023 World Cup.
Australia face Zimbabwe in three ODIs in Townsville from this Sunday, before they meet world No.1 New Zealand for three matches in Cairns from September 6.
Sunday’s match marks the first time in almost two years Australia has played a home ODI and will be Zimbabwe’s first bilateral series here since the 2003-2004 summer.
Carey says with the World Cup just 12 months away and the squad at almost full strength, it’s time to begin preparations.
“We see it as a great opportunity to continue to evolve our one-day cricket to get some form leading into the next 12 months. So it is a good way to start,” he told reporters in Townsville.
“Most players will know their roles coming into the series. Players have been playing the last couple of weeks as well over in the Hundred in England, so for us it’s preparing the best way we can.
“One-day cricket you know how you try to set up, but we’ll obviously sum up the conditions as well and play accordingly.”
Zimbabwe named their 15-man squad for the tour on Tuesday after falling 3-0 to India in a series at home. With Craig Ervine still sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Regis Chakabva will captain the side again. Their recent series against India and Bangladesh will provide important footage Carey said, with little known of some of their squad.
A brief history of Zimbabwe in Australia
1992: World Cup
Played 8; Won 1; Lost 7 (five matches in Australia)
Zimbabwe first came to Australian shores in 1992 for the World Cup hosted on both sides of the Tasman. Their meeting with Australia was a comprehensive 128-run win for the hosts in which the Waugh brothers and Dean Jones scored half-centuries, but they were not without their moments elsewhere, most famously beating England in their final game when Eddo Brandes skittled the top order.
1994-95: B&H World Series
Played 6; Won 1; Lost 5
Two years later Zimbabwe returned as part of the quadrangular World Series played among that season’s Ashes series and which controversially included Australia A. They gave Australia a bit of a scare in the opening match when an injured Mark Waugh had to come out with a runner to get them over the line in a small chase after a flurry of late wickets for Grant Flower.
Their second match against Australia was a much more comfortable win for the home side in which Stuart Law made his one international century. They were twice turned over by Australia A as well (matches that weren’t classed as ODIs) but again they beat England. In Sydney, Grant Flower carried his bat for an unbeaten 84 then legspinner Paul Strang removed Graham Gooch and Graham Thorpe in his first over as Zimbabwe defended 205.
2000-01: Carlton Series
Played 8; Won 1, Lost 7
Zimbabwe’s appearance in this tri-series was not as forlorn as the scoreline would suggest. They nearly sneaked their opening match against West Indies, but were denied by Ricardo Powell.
However, they managed to win the next meeting between the teams in a remarkable match at the SCG where they defended just 138. Captain Heath Streak, who had already top-scored with 45, took 4 for 8 and Bryan Strang 3 for 15 as West Indies sank to 31 for 8 before being bowled out for 91.
Australia won their first three matches against them with relative ease, despite Alistair Campbell’s 124 in Hobart, but the final match at the WACA was different. Damien Martyn’s superb unbeaten 144 had piled up 302 for 5 then Stuart Carlisle responded with 119. It came down to needing 13 off the final over. Twice in the first three deliveries Doug Marillier scooped Glenn McGrath to leave 5 needed off three balls but they couldn’t quite get over the line.
2003-04: Test series
Played 2; Lost 2
Zimbabwe have met Australia in just three Test matches and two of them came in this series. It became famous for Matthew Hayden setting a new world-record score of 380 at the WACA (which would only stand for six months before Brian Lara took it again), in what were two victories by predictably hefty margins even though Australia were without McGrath (injury) and Shane Warne (suspension), with further injuries to Jason Gillespie and Stuart MacGill.
Zimbabwe were more competitive in the second Test at the SCG where Carlisle made a first-innings century and Ray Price took six wickets.
2003-04 VB Series
Played 8; Lost 7, NR 1
Returning a couple of months later for another tri-series, Zimbabwe left without a win on the board. They came close against India in Adelaide, where centuries from Carlisle (his third in Australia) and Sean Ervine were not quite enough. There might have been hope in their first match against Australia when they kept the hosts to 225 for 8 at the SCG, but the top order sank to 17 for 5 against Brad Williams.
2015: World Cup
Played 6; Won 1, Lost 5 (3 matches in Australia)
They were taken for a massive 372 for 2 by West Indies in Canberra where Chris Gayle made 215 off 147 balls. Pakistan were struggling before Wahab Riaz turned things around and there was a controversial note to their defeat against Ireland when replays suggested John Mooney’s foot may have touched the rope when he caught Sean Williams for 96. – ESPNCricinfo.
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