Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
Zimbabwe head coach Justin Sammons says the Chevrons are determined to build on the progress made last year and pursue a historic achievement when they host Bangladesh, with the squad for the multi-format series expected to be announced in the coming days.
Zimbabwe have not played international cricket since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in February and have not featured in a Test match since October, leaving Sammons aware of the challenge of quickly readjusting to the demands of international cricket.
“It should be hopefully within the next few days,” said Sammons on the timing of the squad announcement.
The coach said selection had been influenced by home conditions, recent domestic form and performances in Zimbabwe’s previous Test matches.
“What informed our selection was obviously the conditions and the type of surfaces we are hoping to get. Obviously, it’s home conditions and we would like wickets that favour our strengths, as well as recent domestic form and guys who did well in the last few Tests,” he said.
Sammons acknowledged that the lengthy break from international cricket means Zimbabwe will have to rediscover the required intensity quickly.
“We haven’t played cricket since the end of February, and we haven’t played a Test match since October. So the challenge is going to be for us to meet the intensity that international cricket requires from the get-go,” he said.
Summons wants his side to adopt an aggressive approach, particularly with the ball, while remaining smart and calculated with the bat.
“I am certainly hoping that we can come out and play aggressive cricket, especially with the ball. I want us to be really aggressive. With the bat, I want us to be smart but positive — taking positive options in a calculated way, while taking into account the conditions, the situation in the game and the opposition’s skill set,” he said.
Sammons revealed that Zimbabwe have used the break to improve fitness levels, something he believes will help the team maintain intensity throughout the series.
“We’ve been working hard from a conditioning point of view and getting the guys a lot fitter. We haven’t really had a block of time to do that over the last couple of years. This is our first opportunity to really get stuck in from a conditioning perspective,” he said.
He added that the bowlers had focused on increasing both aggression and consistency.
“Our bowlers have been working hard on being aggressive, on intensity and on bringing as much of that as possible, along with consistency in the areas we’re hitting.”
Zimbabwe enter the series buoyed by last year’s encouraging red-ball campaign, during which they played 10 Tests, and Sammons believes his side has an opportunity to achieve something unprecedented.
“For us to be successful, it’s ultimately about winning. Zimbabwe have never won back-to-back Test series or back-to-back Test matches, so we’ve got an opportunity to do that and that’s a massive goal for us,” he said.
Sammons also expressed satisfaction with the form of wicketkeeper-batter Wesley Madhevere and opener Innocent Kaia, both of whom have enjoyed productive domestic seasons.
“Wesley Madhevere has been really good and I’m happy with his form. Both he and Innocent have done well domestically. They have scored hundreds in both four-day and one-day cricket, so I am certainly excited to see them,” he said.
Looking beyond the Bangladesh assignment, Sammons said Zimbabwe’s long-term ambition remained to become competitive enough to earn a place in the World Test Championship.
“We’re still a long way off in Test cricket. Last year was a stepping stone because we managed to play 10 Tests, which was brilliant. Unfortunately, we haven’t played one this year, which is disappointing. But fixtures are fixtures and you can’t control that. I know Zimbabwe Cricket has tried really hard to secure more Test cricket.
“The more we play, the better we’ll become. Certainly, our vision from a red-ball perspective is to be part of the World Test Championship and to be competitive within that,” he said.
On the injury front, Sammons revealed that all players are fit apart from Richard Ngarava, who is being carefully managed following the back injury he suffered during the World Cup.
“Richie has obviously been managed following that back injury at the World Cup, but he’s progressing well. Other than that, everybody is in good shape from a fitness point of view,” he said.
