Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
FAST Bowler Blessing Muzarabani will return to lead the senior national men’s cricket team’s pace attack for their one-day international series against Afghanistan which gets underway at Harare Sports Club tomorrow.
Muzarabani missed the Chevrons’ 2-3 humiliation by Namibia in a five-match T20 international in Bulawayo last month as he was at the Indian Premier League.
This marked a new low for Zimbabwe as they handed Namibia their first T20I series win against an International Cricket Council Full Member.
Going into the fifth match deadlocked 2-2, Zimbabwe were under pressure to win the decider but bottled it by being bundled out for 95 runs, chasing 127 for victory.
Namibia are now Africa’s second-best cricket team after South Africa in T20 cricket and gained automatic qualification for the first stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.
Zimbabwe has been chosen as hosts of the Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier B next month.
They have to place the embarrassing series loss to Namibia behind them against Afghanistan.
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) yesterday named a 15-man squad for the three-match ODI series.
Led by captain Craig Ervine, the side includes 11 of the players that were part of the ODI squad that toured Sri Lanka in January.
Senior player Sean Williams is still attending to personal matters after ZC granted him compassionate leave and is not in the squad.
Richard Ngarava and Wellington Masakadza have also been ruled out after failing to fully recover from lower back and right shoulder injuries respectively while Tino Mutombodzi didn’t make the cut.
Donald Tiripano and Ainsley Ndlovu have bounced back, with Dion Myers and Tanaka Chivanga also getting the nod for the Afghanistan challenge.
The three ODI matches will be played tomorrow, on Monday and June 9.
The series is part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League serving as the main route for qualification for the 2023 edition of the 50-over ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to be held in India.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo will host the ICC Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier B next month.
The qualifiers will feature eight countries and will be played at Queens Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club from July 8-18.
Zimbabwe will be hoping to fill one of the two slots left.
The seven teams heading to Zimbabwe for the qualifiers are Hong Kong, Jersey, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Uganda and the United States of America.
Zim ODI squad for Afghanistan series
Craig Ervine (captain), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga, Luke Jongwe, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Mandade, Wesley Madhevere, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Ainsley Ndlovu, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano
– @innocentskizoe
Online Reporter