Bongani Ndlovu, [email protected]
BRIAN Bennett says captaining Zimbabwe in Test cricket for the first time is a childhood dream come true as he prepares to lead the Chevrons against Afghanistan in the opening match of their two-Test series in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, today.
The 22-year-old takes over the captaincy in the absence of injured regular skipper Richard Ngarava, with the vice-captain describing the opportunity as a huge honour and privilege.
“It’s a huge honour to lead Zimbabwe out in a Test match, for me personally, for my first time. And it’s a dream that I’ve wanted to happen since I was a little kid,” said Bennett.
“So for that opportunity tomorrow, I’m very humbled and very privileged to be doing that.”
Bennett will be hoping to make a positive start to his captaincy as Zimbabwe seek to build on their recent Test success, having beaten Bangladesh by an innings and 85 runs at Harare Sports Club in June.
The Chevrons head into the Afghanistan assignment following a busy UAE tour that included an ODI tri-series involving Afghanistan and Bangladesh, as well as a T20 International series against the hosts.
With the T20I series having concluded on Sunday, Bennett acknowledged the quick turnaround but said the squad had done enough preparation to be ready for the demands of the five-day format.
“Not only the last couple of days after the T20s, but we’ve also had some good preparations back in Harare before leading up to this entire tour,” he said.
“The guys who weren’t part of the T20 squad did stay and did some red-ball training as well. And we’ve had a good three days of training after the T20s. I think everyone’s ready.”
He added that the transition from limited-overs cricket to the longer format would require a change in mindset rather than a complete adjustment in playing approach.
“We’ve played a lot of cricket. The only thing that changes now is just that we’re now playing with the red ball and it’s a longer format. So I think our headspace is in a good place and we’re looking ready for the challenge tomorrow.”
The opening Test presents a different challenge from Zimbabwe’s previous encounter against Afghanistan in Harare, with Bennett expecting the Sharjah surface to be relatively slow during the early stages before potentially offering assistance to spinners.
“We did look at the pitch this morning. It does look a little bit damp. It does look still a little bit less grass, but I think it’s probably going to be a little bit slow for the first couple of days,” he said.
“It might get some turn later on, but I think that’s what we’re going to have to adapt to and assess as the Test match goes on.”
With no Test match having been played at the venue since 2016, Bennett said both teams would have to assess conditions as the game progresses.
Afghanistan’s spin attack is expected to be one of Zimbabwe’s biggest tests, particularly as the pitch wears, but Bennett said his side had been working on ways to counter the threat.
“We know the quality of the spin that the Afghan guys do have. I think that is going to be one of the challenges throughout this Test,” he said.
“But we know that and we’ve worked on that the last couple of days and we’re prepared for that. Hopefully, over the next couple of days we can manage that and put them under a lot of pressure.”
Bennett also emphasised the importance of Zimbabwe’s top order, saying a solid start would be crucial in building a competitive first-innings total.
“If we get off to a good start and not lose early wickets, especially up front with that new ball, I think that sets a great platform for the whole team in general,” he said.
Zimbabwe will also look to their pace attack, led by Blessing Muzarabani, to put Afghanistan under pressure, with Bennett confident in the quality available within the squad.
The captaincy responsibility, however, will not change his approach when he walks out to bat, with Bennett determined to keep his batting simple and avoid allowing leadership duties to add unnecessary pressure.
“For me, it’s just keeping it as simple as possible. I’m not too worried about the captaincy whilst I’m out in the middle and just batting like I normally do and batting as Brian,” he said.
“I don’t think I need to take that captaincy role into my batting. I think that might put a little bit of pressure.”
Bennett said a strong first session would be important in setting the tone for the match, with Zimbabwe targeting early wickets if they bowl first or a solid start if they are asked to bat.
“The ideal situation would be none down before lunch in the first session. If we bowl, a couple of wickets, if we try and take two or three early wickets, I think that will get us right in the game early on,” he said.
Zimbabwe will be without Ngarava and fellow fast bowler Tanaka Chivanga, who are both sidelined by injuries.
The squad has, however, been boosted by the inclusion of experienced campaigners Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine and veteran leg-spinner Graeme Cremer, alongside all-rounder Antum Naqvi, who has met the ICC eligibility requirements to represent Zimbabwe.
The opening Test runs from November 5 to 9, with the second scheduled for November 13 to 17.
