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Brandon Moyo-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE captain Craig Ervine is confident his Chevrons side will be able to grind a positive result when they host Ireland in a one-off Test match at Queens Sports Club.
The battle gets underway on Thursday.
The last time the Chevrons played a Test match against Ireland was in Belfast in 2023.
The hosts secured a four-wicket win.
This will be the second red ball meeting between the two nations.
Ervine is confident they will be able to make maximum use of home advantage.
He said he was pleased with the improvement he has seen from his teammates over the past couple of months.
“We didn’t get the results we wanted when we played Ireland, it was in their conditions.
“For us, we are now at home, we have the home advantage and, hopefully, we can utilise that.
“We just need to stick to our processes.
“We have improved a lot in the last couple of months, especially with the amount of cricket that we have been playing.
“So, just because of the opposition, I don’t think we need to change too much and a lot of focus should be on us and not them,” said Ervine.
Zimbabwe’s Test squad includes two new faces, the uncapped duo of 27-year-old leg-spinner Vincent Masekesa and 26-year-old top-order batter Nicholas Welch.
They have been rewarded for their impressive performances on the domestic front.
“It’s really exciting to see some new faces in the squad. A lot of credit to them for the hard work that they have put in during our domestic season.
“It’s nice to see guys getting rewarded for some good performances and, hopefully, if they do get a crack at this Test, they can continue with their good form,” said Ervine.
Zimbabwe and Ireland are set to face off in a series that comprises one Test, three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and as many T20Is.
The white ball matches will be played in Harare.
The three One-Dayers are pencilled in for February 14, 16 and 18 while the 20-over matches will be played on February 22, 23 and 25.
Online Reporter