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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
CHEVRONS coach, Lalchand Rajput, has begun preparations for the upcoming tour by Bangladesh, with over 30 players, called for a training camp in Harare.
Zimbabwe Cricket spokesperson, Darlington Majonga, yesterday told The Herald the technical team have wasted no time, to prepare for the series.
“We have a training camp going on in Harare and the guys are training at Harare Sports Club, as part of the process, of finalising the squad,” he said.
“They played a practice game yesterday (Tuesday) and they will play another one tomorrow (today).
“The selectors are looking at the players and, by next week, the final squad should be announced.”
The final squad is expected to go into a bio-secure bubble camp, in preparation for the tour, which gets underway, in just under two weeks’ time.
Zimbabwe are scheduled to take on their Asian opponents in a one-off Test match, three One Day Internationals and as many T20 Internationals, in Harare.
All the matches will be played behind closed doors, at Harare Sports Club, with no spectators allowed in the ground.
The lone Test has been set from July 7-11.
But, before the Test, the tourists will play a two-day practice match, scheduled for July 3-4, as well as another warm-up game on July 14, two days ahead of the ODI series.
Bangladesh will conclude the tour with the T20I matches set for 23, 25 and 27 July.
But, of real significance, is the three-match ODI series.
The matches are part of the ICC Super League, which is serving as the main route for qualification, for the 2023 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
The 13-team league competition will see the top seven sides, plus India as the hosts, qualifying directly for the World Cup.
The remaining five teams, along with five Associate sides, will play in a qualifying tournament, from which two other teams, will go through to the global showcase.
Bangladesh, who recently clinched their first bilateral series against Sri Lanka, were leading the table, when the last update was made, on June 7.
The Tigers have won five of the nine matches they have played.
Zimbabwe are 11th, with one win from the three-match series, against Pakistan, late last year.
Bangladesh are touring Zimbabwe, for the first time, in eight years.
Zimbabwe are looking to play more cricket after hosting Bangladesh with talks at advanced stage for series against Ireland and Scotland.
Online Reporter