Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimbabwe Chevrons coach Justin Sammons has challenged his players to seize their moment and prove they belong on the international stage following Sikandar Raza’s absence from the upcoming Test against Bangladesh.
While admitting that the veteran all-rounder will be sorely missed, Sammons believes Raza’s absence creates an opportunity for other players to step out of the shadows and make their mark.
“Raza is always going to add value to any team he plays in, so whenever he’s missing it’s a big loss,” said Sammons.
“However, at the same time, Raza missing gives other guys the opportunity to put their hands up, which is really, really great.
“It is my hope now that they are able to take that opportunity and prove their worth.”
The Chevrons will be without their talisman when the one-off Test against Bangladesh gets underway on Sunday.
Raza has been granted permission to complete his commitments with Worcestershire County Cricket Club in England’s Vitality Blast competition.
Despite the setback, Zimbabwe will head into the Test with confidence after their emphatic innings and 73-run victory over Afghanistan in their previous outing.
Victory against Bangladesh would see Zimbabwe achieve a rare feat, winning successive home Test matches for the first time.
Leading the charge will be newly appointed Test captain Richard Ngarava, who takes charge of the national side for the first time.
Ngarava was one of the heroes of Zimbabwe’s victory over Afghanistan, producing a brilliant five-wicket haul to help secure one of the country’s most memorable Test wins in recent years.
The squad retains several experienced campaigners including Brendan Taylor, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine and Blessing Muzarabani, who Sammons believes will play a vital role both on and off the field.
“It’s always important to have players like Brendan Taylor, Cremer and Craig Ervine in the changing room,” said Sammons.
“They are such calm heads, possess a calm demeanour and have a lot of experience.
“These are all things that some of the younger players can lean on and feed off from in that changing room.”
One notable absentee is highly rated batter Atum Naqvi, whose omission sparked questions among fans.
However, Sammons explained that the youngster remains unavailable because he is still awaiting clearance from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“I think it’s important for people to understand that he is not yet eligible to play for Zimbabwe,” said Sammons.
“His final papers and clearance have to come from the ICC. It doesn’t matter how well he does, until he gets those final papers, we can’t pick him in the national team.”
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Innocent Kaia after the batter earned selection following an impressive domestic season and a century for Zimbabwe A in Bangladesh.
“Innocent has been superb domestically. He has obviously knocked the door down by putting on big numbers and then went on to score a hundred in Bangladesh for the A-side, which was great to see,” said Sammons.
“We certainly look forward to seeing how he goes through this series.”
Bangladesh’s month-long tour includes a Test, three One Day Internationals and three T20 internationals.
The two nations last met in Bangladesh, where Zimbabwe stunned the hosts with a memorable three-wicket victory before the series ended one-all.
For Sammons, the mission is straightforward.
“We want to win the series, it’s as simple as that,” he said.
“From a bowling point of view we want to be aggressive and execute our skills. With the bat, we want to be smart and understand when to absorb pressure and when to transfer it.”
