Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE Chevrons coach Justin Sammons has backed his side to rise to the challenge when they face Bangladesh in a one-off Test starting this Sunday at Harare Sports Club despite the absence of key all-rounder Sikandar Raza.
Raza will miss the match after being granted permission by Zimbabwe Cricket to complete his commitments with Worcestershire in the 2026 Vitality Blast in England.
Left-arm paceman Richard Ngarava will lead a 15-man squad blending experience and youth as Zimbabwe return to the longest format for the first time in eight months.
Senior players Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer and Blessing Muzarabani are expected to form the core leadership group on the field in what promises to be a stern test against a match-fit Bangladesh side.
Sammons expressed confidence in the squad, highlighting the form shown by several players in domestic and representative cricket.
Innocent Kaia, Cremer, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wessly Madhevere and Newman Nyamhuri have all earned recalls after strong performances in domestic and representative cricket, while Roy Kaia earned selection after captaining Rocks to Logan Cup success last season.
“Yes, I’m very happy with the team,” said Sammons.
“I think we’ve brought some new guys in there, in terms of, say, Innocent (Kaia), who’s been in some really good form. He got a 100 in Bangladesh, along with Wessly Madhevere. Same thing, he got a 100.
“They’ve both had a good domestic season in terms of the numbers they’ve put on the board. Wessly got a couple of hundreds, which is what we’re looking for. We’re looking for guys who can get hundreds.”
Sammons also singled out Rocks’ middle-order batsman Tafadzwa Tsiga, who showed glimpses in recent internationals.
“We’ve had some good form domestically with (Tafadzwa) Tsiga. Tsiga was certainly starting to come into his own. He played brilliantly against New Zealand, and against a good attack, he stood out with a bat and continued that form into the domestic season.
“So, I think all in all, I’m happy with it. We’ve got a good pace attack, and hopefully conditions play into our hands in terms of that,” said Sammons. The one-off Test which begins at Harare Sports Club this Sunday, will mark the Chevrons’ return to Test cricket, eight months following their emphatic innings-and-73-run victory over Afghanistan at the same venue in October last year. Ngarava was one of the stand-out performers in that match, claiming a five-wicket haul as Zimbabwe recorded one of their most convincing Test victories in recent years.
Ben Curran also starred with a century, while Brad Evans produced a five-wicket haul of his own to help seal the win, and both have been retained, along with rising star Brian Bennett.
All-rounder Wellington Masakadza was omitted along with Nick Welch, Anum Naqvi, Tinotenda Maposa and Tanun-urwa Makoni.
The forthcoming encounter renews a growing Test rivalry between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
The two sides last met in a two-match series in Bangladesh in April and May last year, with the contest ending one-all.
Zimbabwe produced a memorable three-wicket victory in the opening Test of that series to register their first win in the format in four years before Bangladesh levelled the series in the second match.
With a blend of experience and emerging talent, Zimbabwe will be aiming to build on that success and make a strong start to a busy home international season.
However, the Chevrons have not played a Test match since October.
They have also been inactive in any form of cricket since February, when they took part at the ICC T20 World Cup.
Yet Bangladesh have been busy and are coming off a white-ball home series against Australia, which ended last Sunday.
“It’s been eight months plus since we last played Test cricket, which is a long time away from that format,” Sammons told Zimpapers Sports Hub.
“I think that’s certainly going to be our biggest challenge, to match that intensity from ball one. Bangladesh are coming off a lot of cricket, so their intensity will be right up there.
“But what the period away from playing has given us is an opportunity to really focus on our preparation, our conditioning and the technical side of the game.
“We’ve put a lot of attention into that over the last two months, and I’m really pleased with the way the guys have gone about their business and the work they’ve put in. I’m really hoping that pays off in this coming Test,” said Sammons. Bangladesh are in Zimbabwe for a full bilateral series, which also includes three ODIs and as many T20I matches.
After the Test, the two teams will remain in Harare for the ODI series scheduled for July 6, 9 and 11 at Harare Sports Club.
The tour will then move to Bulawayo, where Queens Sports Club will host the T20I series on July 15, 17 and 19. Bangladesh’s previous tour of Zimbabwe took place in July and August 2022, when the hosts delivered impressive performances to win both the T20I and ODI series 2-1 at Harare Sports Club.
Zimbabwe Test squad:
Richard Ngarava (Captain), Brian Bennett, Tanaka Chivanga, Graeme Cremer, Ben Curran, Craig Ervine, Brad Evans, Innocent Kaia, Roy Kaia, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri, Brendan Taylor, Tafadzwa Tsiga.
