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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe senior national women’s cricket team players are unlikely to have their usual Easter holidays this year as they step up preparations for the upcoming triangular series in Namibia.
The team will be travelling to Namibia for a week-long series that will also involve Uganda and the hosts. The event is expected to run from next Tuesday to April 27.
The outing will be the first for new coach Gary Brent, who recently replaced Adam Chifo at the helm. The side has been in camp for about five days now and have played some practice games as part of the preparations.
They began with the Women’s T20 Regional Games that were used as part of the selection games at the weekend as the players were given the opportunity to impress the new coach.
Another match was played on Tuesday against a Select side. Mary Anne Musonda hit 48 and Modester Mupachikwa was unbeaten on 47 runs, as the team hit 124-5 in 20 overs. Loryn Phiri took 4-5 and Josephine Nkomo had 3-26 as they restricted the Under-16s to 94 runs.
Zimbabwe are expected to face credible competition from Namibia and Uganda during the triangular series. The performances during the tour of Namibia are also likely to have a bearing on the team selection for the 2022 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier set to take place later this year.
The Lady Chevrons are also expected to take part in the 2022 Kwibuka Women’s T20 tournament in July as part of the build-up to the Global Qualifier.
Reports from Rwanda say Zimbabwe will be one of the teams to watch in the much-anticipated tournament, scheduled to run from June 9-18 in Kigali.
Held annually since 2014, the tournament is the flagship event of the women’s cricket calendar in Rwanda through which the cricket community contribute to the country’s healing process following the atrocities committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
According to Rwanda Cricket Association president, Stephen Musaale, Zimbabwe are among three new countries that recently confirmed their participation in this year’s edition alongside Germany and Brazil.
Musaale described the trio’s anticipated participation as a huge boost for the tournament’s growth in terms of competition and a significant indication of its quick rise to the continental level despite the fact it is not on ICC calendar.
“The tournament began bringing together countries from the East African region, and has since been growing to the point that it is going continental. I believe it is so far one of the biggest cricket tournaments not organised by ICC,” Musaale said.
He pointed out that teams are increasingly showing much interest in participating at the tournament because the federation has put tremendous efforts to improve the level of competition and the organization of the tournament in different aspects as well.
“The more the tournament grows the more teams continue to show interest in participating in it. The reception teams are given, the weather and the magnificent Gahanga Cricket Stadium are all among factors that continue to attract teams to take part,” he said.
With Brazil, Germany, Zimbabwe and host nation Rwanda already confirmed as this year’s participants for Kwibuka Women’s T20 tourney, the federation will soon announce all countries expected to participate.
Rwanda has never won the tournament despite playing from home since its inception in 2014, with reigning champions Kenya the tournament’s most decorated team so far, having emerged winners four times in a process.
Online Reporter