Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ONE of the senior players in the Zimbabwe senior national cricket team, Brendan Taylor failed two fitness tests conducted in Harare with the star batsman to be given another opportunity to prove his fitness.
Information provided by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) shows that Taylor failed the first proficiency examination on 15 June and another one on 6 July. Taylor, the highest paid local cricketer did not do well in the yoyo test, t-run, push-ups as well as sit-ups. Another batsman Prince Masvaure, who had also failed the fitness tests managed to pass yesterday.
Darlington Majonga, the ZC media and communications manager confirmed that Taylor failed his fitness tests and will be tested again since he was absent from training because of illness.
“Brendan Taylor missed training due to illness but he will undergo a retest in the next few days. Prince (Masvaure) was retested today (Saturday) and passed,’’ Majonga said.
The Bulawayo-based quintet of Ainsley Ndlovu, Sean Williams, Brian Chari, Charlton Tshuma and Christopher Mpofu all passed both fitness tests which were conducted at Queens Sports Club. National team players have been training in different parts of the country since 15 June when all of them tested negative for the coronavirus. They are fine-tuning in anticipation of a proposed visit to the country by Afghanistan, which if it goes ahead will see the Chevrons take on the Asians in five Twenty20 Internationals. ZC have made an application to Government for the tour to be green light.
Majonga said agreement has been reached between ZC and the Afghanistan Cricket Board for the tour to proceed with all they are now waiting for being a response from the Government.
“We have agreed with Afghanistan to proceed with the tour that we had both committed to prior to the lockdown. However, the tour can only happen if approved by the government and we have since written to the authorities asking for permission to host the event. The same applies to all other cricket activities, including a national club competition that we have been planning. For now, we can only wait for the government’s response to our application,’’ said Majonga.
Should ZC be given the green light, that would pave way for Zimbabwe to take on Afghanistan in five Twenty20 International fixtures. At the moment, cricketers are only allowed to hold training sessions with no game situations permitted as part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
If given permission to host matches, ZC are also planning to have a national competition for clubs as well as domestic games for the women with provisional fixtures for these already in place. — @Mdawini_29
Online Reporter