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Mehluli Sibanda, Sports Editor
AFTER a long wait, Zimbabwe return to an International Cricket Council major event when they plunge into battle at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against Ireland at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, Australia tomorrow.
Zimbabwe are making their first tournament appearance since 2016 when they competed at an event held in India. Back then, they failed to make it past the first round as they finished second to Afghanistan in Group B, which saw them return home.
In 2016, only one team progressed from each of the two groups but things have changed with two to make it this time around, which enhances Zimbabwe’s chances. In 2022, they are also in Group B after winning the Global Qualifier held in Bulawayo.
The Chevrons are making their sixth appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with their opponents being Ireland, West Indies and Scotland. Tomorrow, they square off against Ireland, take on West Indies on Wednesday before they round off their group fixtures against Scotland on Friday.
With a new head coach and an impressive recent run in T20Is, expectations are high for the Chevrons as they head into battle Down Under. A legend of Zimbabwe cricket as a player and as a coach, Dave Houghton will lead his country at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup nearly 40 years after his international debut as a player.
His re-appointment in June to take over the post from Indian Lalchand Rajput, Houghton is bound to have generated a feel-good factor around the camp, not that one was needed, with the side having won seven of their last nine T20Is. Houghton even engineered a shock 50-over victory over Australia in Queensland in September, with leg-spinner Ryan Burl finishing with figures of five-for-ten. Zimbabwe will no doubt look to their man of the moment, 36-year-old all-rounder Sikandar Raza, whose strike rate currently hovers around 150 in the T20 format.
With skipper Craig Ervine back from a hamstring injury at the top of the order, Zimbabwe will fancy their chances of securing a Super 12 stage spot for the first time in their history. A top two finish in the pool will see the Dave Houghton coached Chevrons proceed to the Super 12 stage of the competition where they will get to meet stiffer opposition. Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa are some of the potential opponents for Zimbabwe should they qualify for the Super 12 phase of the tournament.
Zimbabwe were absent when the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman after they missed the qualifying tournament in 2019 due to the country’s membership being suspended.
This was after the ICC deemed that the action taken by the Sports and Recreation Commission to suspend the Zimbabwe Cricket board amounted to “third party” interference, a violation of the world cricket governing body’s statutes.
Meanwhile, Ervine was one of the 16 captains who met and set the tone for the tournament which gets underway today. The 16 skippers made history, coming together in Melbourne for the first time at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. As highlighted by the ICC, the Captains’ Day marks the start of the eighth edition of the event that promises to keep more than a billion cricket fans across the globe on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
A total of 45 are taking place in Australia over 28 days with the champions to be crowned at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 13 November.
Zimbabwe Squad: Craig Ervine (c), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams
Reserves: Tanaka Chivanga, Innocent Kaia, Kevin Kasuza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Victor Nyauchi. — Follow on Twitter @Mdawini_29
Bongani Ndlovu