Chevrons need to flex muscles

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Chevrons should justify why they should make it to the Super 10 stage of the ICC World T20 Championships that get underway next week and need a good performance against Ireland in a warm-up game today.

Full member Zimbabwe face bogey Associate side Ireland in their second WT20 warm-up game in India today on the back of a rather shocking performance.

Zimbabwe marked their arrival in India with a miserable performance that saw them being thrashed by Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association XI, a state side who chased 112 in 14 overs for a seven wicket win.

In their tour of the United Arab Emirates, Zimbabwe twice got the better of Sharjah Cricket Club, first with a 17-run win then a five-wicket victory at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Then came West Indies who handed them back-to-back defeats starting with an 18-run win, then in the second game they were handed a 10-wicket defeat which exposed Zimbabwe.

Of course Zimbabwe are reeling from injuries that forced the replacement of leg spinner Graeme Cremer (broken arm), all-rounder Luke Jongwe (head injury) and Neville Madziva.

Former captain Elton Chigumbura, Sikandar Raza-Butt and Tendai Chatara all sat out against HPCA, but there was no reason for the tourists to lose against a provincial side.

Ireland are coming from a 10-wicket win over Hong Kong — a side that defeated Ireland in the qualifying tournament in Malahide last July.

Ireland have failed to reach 150 in any of their last 13 T20 internationals, which included defeats to Papua New Guinea and UAE on their recent tour to Queensland and Abu Dhabi, but they have always been Zimbabwe’s tricky customers.

Zimbabwe’s first match in the WT20 is against Hong Kong on Tuesday, followed by games against Scotland and Afghanistan and the Chevrons will have to win at least two to make it to the Super 10 stage when the top eight Test nations join in.