Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE captain Sikandar Raza says former skipper Graeme Cremer is being kept close to the national team as a standby option for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier.
Raza spoke to Zimpapers Sports Hub after Zimbabwe clinched a 2–1 T20I series victory over Namibia at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo last Thursday.
“Graeme has been a fantastic addition. We’re keeping him close so that, just in case something goes wrong, we might have to call him up. Newman has also been close for the same reason. We’re making sure they train with us — God forbid there’s an injury — so our backups are up to speed with training.
These are the reasons. It’s been nice having Graeme and Newman around. If we do have an injury — hopefully we won’t — we’ll have guys on the bench who are ready,” said Raza.
Cremer, who last played international cricket seven years ago, has been training with the Chevrons at Queens Sports Club. Raza said the veteran leg-spinner’s return is being carefully managed.
“Graeme is coming back after a seven-year lay-off, so it’s important to integrate him gradually. He’s learning more about himself, his body, how he’s coping with the workload, and how his body is responding to training. So it’s crucial that we bring him back slowly to avoid injury.
Burl has 100 T20Is under his belt, so it’s great to have another experienced player in the squad. The blend of experience and youth is coming together really well,” he said.
The Chevrons begin their campaign for a spot at the 2026 T20 World Cup on Friday at Harare Sports Club. Zimbabwe are in Group B alongside Uganda, Tanzania, and Botswana, while Group A features Namibia, Malawi, Kenya, and Nigeria.
In their first warm-up match yesterday, Zimbabwe outplayed Kenya by nine wickets at Harare Sports Club. After winning the toss, Kenya were restricted to 96/8 in 20 overs, with Bradley Evans taking three wickets and Rakep Patel top-scoring with 24. The Chevrons chased down the target in 12.2 overs, finishing on 100/1.
Tadiwanashe Marumani was dismissed for 14, Brian Bennett retired on 33, and Sean Williams remained unbeaten on 21 from 13 balls. Zimbabwe face Nigeria in another warm-up match tomorrow, before opening their qualifiers against Uganda on Friday. They will then play Botswana on Saturday and Tanzania next Monday.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals, with the winners securing places at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. — @brandon_malvin
