dyton mupawaenda
Sports Reporter
MORE than three months since their last feel of international cricket, Zimbabwe’s Chevrons will tomorrow head for Namibia where they are set to engage the fast improving neighbours in a five-match T20I series.
Dubbed the Castle Lite Series, the tour by Zimbabwe is nothing short of a landmark moment in the cricket history of the hosts, who welcome a Test Nation on their shores for the first time.
But for Zimbabwe it is more about the opportunities to play in preparation for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2023, to be held in the same country in the coming weeks.
Both teams will be part of the seven-team cricket jamboree to decide the two teams to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America.
Sadly, Zimbabwe had not played any international cricket since hosting the qualifiers for the 50-over cricket World Cup currently underway in India.
The Chevrons failed to qualify for the World Cup despite playing the qualifier on home soil. And since the disappointing defeat to Scotland in their last game of the tournament on July 5, the national team has been on the sidelines.
But most of the Chevrons players have featured in domestic club cricket as the National Premier League and the T20 Blast took centre stage in recent months.
Coach Dave Houghton and his players will leave for the Namibia series tomorrow, with the first match set for Tuesday.
The two other games will take place on October 25, 27, 29 and 30 in Windhoek.
Apart from the Zimbabwe Emerging side that toured Namibia tin 2021, Zimbabwe had never played a series in Namibia. Houghton hailed the tour as an important preparation for the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2023.
“This first trip to Namibia has two-fold importance for us as a group.
“Firstly, this is the first time we have played together as a team since the 50-over World Cup qualifiers and we need to get our winning methods back on track.
“Secondly, no one in the squad has experienced Namibian conditions, or how the wickets play, so this will give us that insight, prior to the T20 qualifiers in November.”
Apart from Zimbabwe and Namibia, the other countries taking part in the regional event are Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with the tournament’s top two teams qualifying for the global showpiece.
“Obviously as the only ICC Full Member, we will quite rightly be the favourites,” Houghton said.
“My message is very clear to our team: we will go to win every game and qualification will take care of itself.
“It’s important that we not only win, but totally dominate in the region. There can be no complacency.”
Zimbabwe named a strong squad of 16 players during the midweek.
The side includes two uncapped players, opening batter Nick Welch and wicketkeeper-batter Nyasha Mayavo, while opening batter Tinashe Kamunhukamwe as well as pace bowlers Carl Mumba and Faraz Akram have earned recalls on the back of strong performances in domestic competitions.
The nucleus of the team has been retained, with the captain Craig Ervine travelling to Namibia together with the experienced trio of Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Tendai Chatara.
Richard Ngarava, Wellington Masakadza and Ryan Burl are also part of the squad, while Blessing Muzarabani, who is still recuperating from a right-hand fracture sustained during a National Premier League match last month, is the only notable absentee.
The last time the two teams played, Zimbabwe suffered a shock 2-3 defeat to the Eagles at the Queens Sports Club last year.
Zimbabwe Squad:
Akram Faraz, Burl Ryan, Chatara Tendai, Ervine Craig (captain), Jongwe Luke, Kaia Innocent, Kamunhukamwe Tinashe, Madande Clive, Madhevere Wessly, Masakadza Wellington, Mayavo Nyasha, Mumba Carl, Ngarava Richard, Raza Sikandar, Welch Nick, Williams Sean
Namibia Squad:
Gerhard Erasmus (C), JJ Smit (VC), Niko Davin, Zane Green, Michael Van Lingen, Jan Frylinck, Ben Shikongo, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Shaun Fouche, Bernard Scholtz, Tangeni Lungameni, JP Kotze, Karl Birkenstock, Handre Klazinga, Malan Kruger
Online Reporter