adminLovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
The national cricket team will be accompanied by fans to cheer them at next year’s International Cricket Council World Cup, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has announced.
The Chevrons will be part of the cricket world cup jamboree which roars into life on February 14 in Australia and New Zealand.
ZC board member Freddy Kapuya said the move was meant to give moral support to the team and demystify the notion that cricket was an elite sport. He said the move would go a long way in raising awareness and interest of the game among the generality of Zimbabweans.
“We have launched something very exciting ahead of the ICC cricket World Cup next year. We want to carry supporters to Australia to cheer the boys up. The media person that is, Lovemore Banda, and his team are working flat out to ensure that supporters accompany the team.
“We are doing it so that we are able to associate cricket with the generality of Zimbabweans and dispel the idea that it’s an elite sport. We want to ensure that the game becomes the second most popular sport in the country and increase the interest in the sport,” he said.
Kapuya said ZC was in negotiations with International Cricket Council 2014 World Cup partner, Fly Emirates to reduce fares to enable as many fans as possible to travel to the cricket World Cup.
ZC is yet to appoint a new coach ahead of the global showcase following the sacking of Stephen Mangongo after a disastrous tour of Bangladesh in which the Chevrons lost all the matches.
Kapuya said the new coach’s immediate task would be to select a competitive team to reach the Super Six stage.
The last time Zimbabwe reached the stage was in 2013 when the country co-hosted the tournament with South Africa.
Online Reporter