adminMehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE cricket selectors have finally made the bold decision to drop skipper Elton Chigumbura for the second Twenty20 International at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna today. In Chigumbura’s absence from the match day 11, batsman Sikandar Raza has been handed the captaincy in a stand in capacity. A reliable source who asked not be quoted told Sunday News Sport of the development in the national cricket team camp and confirmed that Raza is the stand in captain.
Chigumbura, a brilliant all rounder who could chip in with both bat and ball during the early stages of his cricket career has struggled of late in the two aspects of the game. In his last five T20I innings, Chigumbura has only scored a shocking total of 11 runs at an average of 2.2 has not taken a wicket in those occasions. The 29-year-old was dismissed for three runs when Zimbabwe went down by four wickets to Bangladesh in the first T20I on Friday which must have prompted the selectors to drop him from the team.
Meanwhile, after losing the first Twenty20 International against Bangladesh on Friday, Zimbabwe are certain to head into the second encounter seeking a quick turnaround of fortunes.
Zimbabwe were beaten by four wickets in the opening encounter of the four-match T20I contest staged at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna which is also the setting for today’s fixture and the remaining two.
Veterans Vusumuzi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza seemed to have laid the foundation for a big score but when they were dismissed, Zimbabwe could only manage 163 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their 20 overs.
Masakadza, later named man of the match, top scored with 79 runs off 53 deliveries and put on a 101 stand with Sibanda who made 46 from 39 balls. When the two seasoned batsmen departed, the next notable contribution was the 14 runs scored by Malcolm Waller. The rest of the batters put up a shambolic display at the crease.
Zimbabwe will look to put up a solid batting display to give Bangladesh a challenging total should they bat first or put in a good chase should they be the second team to make use of the batting deck.
Masakadza, Sibanda, Waller, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams are the batsmen Zimbabwean coach Davenell Whatmore will be counting on to make the adequate runs.
The bowlers were also unimpressive, save for spinners Wellington Masakadza, William and Graeme Cremer who put Bangladesh under pressure. Leg spinner Cremer picked up two wickets for 32 runs in four overs while left arm spinners Masakadza and Williams took one wicket apiece.
Seamers Brian Vitori and Luke Jongwe did not get any wickets in the opening encounter. It is yet to be seen if the coach opts for Neville Madziva ahead of any of the two pace bowlers in a bid to tame the Tigers and increase Zimbabwe’s chances of winning the series.
The two teams are using the four matches as part of their fine tuning for the International Cricket Council World Twenty20 in India, a competition which runs from 8 March to 3 April.
Meanwhile, former ZC employee Prosper Tsvanhu has poked fun at the latest appointments made by Zimbabwe Cricket to the national team coaching structures.
ZC last Tuesday appointed former South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini as bowling coach and former Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu as batting consultant for the current tour of Bangladesh.
The move was seen as a way of strengthening support technical staff available to coach Davenell Whatmore in light of the team’s struggles.
However, Tsvanhu, employed by ZC until the end of last year under the Media department mostly responsible for social media has laughed off those appointments, describing them as “clutching at straws” by the cricket mother body.
Tsvanhu, a former first class cricketer who was once sent by ZC to the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence in Australia to sharpen his cricketing skills is of the view that while the two ex international cricketers will breathe life into the Zimbabwe changing room, the public should not be deceived into not seeing that the developments are a smoke screen by the ZC leadership.
He had no kind words for his former employers, describing them as being greedy administrators who were content with just having 11 players on the field of play resembling a national outfit, while they squander funds in the background.
“In no other Test playing country do you get casual acceptance to back to back series losses against an associate with little resource but huge heart and collective will, unless if you are in Zimbabwe where greedy administrators are content with just having eleven players on the field resembling a national outfit, while they loot the funds in the background,’’ alleged Tsvanhu.
The 30-year old has become a fierce critic since his contract was not renewed by ZC towards the end of last year. He has penned a number of articles lambasting the same organisation he used to defend with a lot of verve when he was still their employee.
ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani dismissed Tsvanhu as a bitter man after his contract was not renewed.
Bongani Ndlovu