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Augustine Hwata Sports Reporter
A SLUMP in form has cost one of the most experienced openers Vusi Sibanda and upcoming seamer Brian Vitori places in the final World Cup squad that was announced by Zimbabwe Cricket yesterday.
Zimbabwe unveiled a balanced 15-member team yesterday, with little surprises, as they look to improve on their previous performances at the tournament.
Three players — Chamu Chibhabha, Tawanda Mupariwa and Stuart Matsikenyeri — wrestled their way back into the side after being overlooked on several occasions. But their performances of late made it difficult for the selectors to overlook them.
Top order batsman Sean Williams is also back in the fold, having missed the last tour to Bangladesh. Elton Chigumbura will captain the side that includes a good mixture of youth and experience.
However, the most notable absentees will be Sibanda and Vitori who were left out largely due to their inconsistencies but have been placed on standby among the five non-travelling reserves. Chigumbura, nonetheless, said he was satisfied with the selection.
“I am happy with the composition of this national team but it’s unfortunate that some of the guys who have played more matches before like Vusi Sibanda and Brain Vitori are missing although they had done well in the past.
“But the guys who are in deserve to be in the team looking at recent form. So I am looking forward to the team as we go forward.
“We have guys who can play well in the conditions we are going to face. I think the conditions we are going to face are also similar to here but the difference comes in the pace of the wicket and we need to adjust before we go to the World Cup,” said Chigumbura.
The skipper is part of the newly reconstituted selection panel that is made up of Givemore Makoni, national team coach Dav Whatmore, his assistant Douglas Hondo and Babu Meman.
Chigumbura will be leading the team at the World Cup for the second time having assumed the same role in 2011. The hard-hitting batsman yesterday challenged his troops to show that each one of them deserved a place in the team.
The national team cricket has not been producing positive results and their previous tour to Bangladesh ended in a whitewash as they lost all the three Tests and Five ODIs in October and November last year.
In the 15-men squad, veteran batsman Hamilton Masakadza got a place for what could be his first World Cup appearance after missing the previous tournaments either because he was off form or injured.
Spin bowler Prosper Utseya has also won a place in the squad but he will be restricted from his main duties after having faced a ban from the ICC for illegal bowling action. Utseya can only bowl medium pace for now but there are other options in leg spinner Williams, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Sikandar Raza and Stuart Matsikenyeri.
Utseya has since undergone remedial in South Africa and has been cleared to play while Mashonaland Eagles opening batsman Chibhabha could have impressed the selectors by hammering 155 in the unofficial ODI against visiting Canada at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
“I think he (Chibhabha) is in good form and I hope that he will be consistent like what he did yesterday (Tuesday). I feel that if he plays that role well, we could have positive results for the whole team,” said Chigumbura.
The team captain is also hoping that Australian-based Solomon Mire will be one team’s trump cards since he is familiar with the wickets as he plays for Melbourne Renegades. Mire was one of the outstanding performers on his debut amid the gloom during the recent tour to Bangladesh.
“It’s an advantage to have a guy who is playing in Australia in our team for the World Cup. He is playing in those conditions and looking at his last tour, he played well in Bangladesh in what were different conditions from what he is used to.
“He brought the team in better shape through his performance so it’s a big positive to have someone like him who is an all-rounder and can balance the ball and the batting,” he said.
Medium pacer Mupariwa, who took four wickets in the on-going Zimbabwe A series against Canada, is back after six-year absence and should be a valuable back-up to Zimbabwe’s attack fronted by Tinashe Panyangara and Tendai Chatara. Batsman Craig Ervine made it to the team and is a useful middle order batsman although his form has been worrisome. But overall, the selectors picked a balanced side.
Convener of selectors, Makoni, said they have managed to pick the best squad based on current and previous form.
“I think this is the best squad we have managed to come up with for this competition and it has got good balance in terms of bowlers, batters, spinners and all-rounders.
“This is the team to do the job for us and the beauty about this World Cup is that we are not playing three games but six games and this is good enough for any side to pick form and progress during competition,” said Makoni.
The ICC World Cup 2015 will burst into life in just over a month from now in Australia and New Zealand.
The Chevrons will play in the same pool with South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Ireland, India and West Indies.
Cricket pitches in Down and Under have traditionally been known to be good for fast bowlers because of the amount of bounce that can be generated on these surfaces and could favour batsmen who play the pull, hook and cuts efforts. Whatmore, who is an Australian, has set his target on progressing beyond the first round matches.
Online Reporter