adminSenior Sports Reporter
FORMER Zimbabwe senior national cricket team pace bowler Tawanda Mupariwa is hoping to use the Zimbabwe A’s tour to Bangladesh to fight his way back into the national team. Mupariwa returned home last Monday from Northern Ireland where he was playing club cricket for Strabane in order to be part of the second string national team’s visit to Bangladesh. His club still had three league matches to play before the end of the season.
With the 2015 International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup a few months away in Australia and New Zealand, the 29-year-old Mupariwa is eager to make a return to the national team.
Mupariwa knows well that there is too much bowling competition in the national team and is aware that in order for him to be selected he has to prove himself with the bat as well.
“I want to do well in the Zimbabwe A tour to Bangladesh to get back where I belong which is the national team. I have done well in Bangladesh before so I shouldn’t struggle with the bowling over there. I know I am going to do well with the bowling but I also want to score some runs to add depth to the batting order,’’ said Mupariwa.
He is not looking too far ahead with his main goal being to be part of the national team which also has a tour to Bangladesh next month.
Mupariwa last played for the national team in August 2009 when Zimbabwe took on Bangladesh in a One-Day International match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. In 2008, the medium pace bowler became the fastest Zimbabwean bowler to account for 50 ODI wickets, getting to the milestone in 28 ODIs, nine matches fewer than fellow fast bowler Eddo Brandes.
In Northern Ireland, Mupariwa said he was well looked after at the club who have already invited him to be part of the setup next season. He took 34 wickets in all the matches for Strabane who are in the North West Premier League.
He played at the same club with ex-Zimbabwe Under-19 captain Matthew Bentley, a top order batsman who also bowls off spin.
“I really enjoyed my time in Northern Ireland, I was even called up by North West Warriors who play three-day matches but my club didn’t release me because of injury concerns. I played with players full of potential, was made comfortable over there and they want me back next year,’’ Mupariwa said.
The player could not return home to be part of the national team for the visits to Zimbabwe by South Africa and Australia because he had already committed to the club in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile, the Walter Chawaguta coached Zimbabwe A depart for Bangladesh on Tuesday where they will play two four-day fixtures and three limited overs matches.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter