adminTinashe Kusema
Zimbabwe Cricket national team coach Dav Whatmore will be banking on home conditions to aid a marked improvement from his bowling department when his boys square off against India early next month.
The Indians are expected to fly in for a three One-Day-International and two Twenty29 series against Zimbabwe set for Harare Sports Club from July 10-19.
While the team has shown glimpses of improvement from their disastrous 2014 performance, it is the bowling department that Whatmore believes still needs some work.
“We will be in our home conditions for first time in months and the belief is they will be a natural marked improvement.
“If you take a look at our fixtures the past couple of months, we were in Bangladesh in December last year, then it was off to Australia for the World Cup and finally Pakistan. These were all different conditions, climates and countries and I think that contributed a lot to the bowlers’ performances.
“The India tour will be the first we play under our own conditions, and that alone should spur a marked improvement from the lads,” he said.
However, this is not to say the 61-year-old has been sitting on his laurels and praying for miracles as he has since called up three new bowlers as a means to increase competition and try out new combinations. The three — Donald Tirpano, Neville Madziva and Luke Jongwe — were part of the training squad as the team went about the bowling and batting drills.
“We have been having a routine camp, concentrating on our fitness, fielding and skill levels among other things.
“The batting has been pretty stable, Regis Chakabva is showing great potential in the wicketkeeper role and the returning Graeme Cremer is ever improving but it is the overall bowling department that still needs a lot work.
“I have called up Tiripano, Madziva and Jongwe who I’m hoping to have a look at and maybe have them put some pressure on the likes of Christopher Mpofu, Tinashe Panyangara and Brian Vitori for spots on the team,” said Whatmore.
The preparations are expected to go into high gear this week when the squad begins playing practise matches and also start the screening process.
While Whatmore alluded to have a vague idea of his final 15, the coach is keeping his cards to his chest and says he will only trim the squad after the practice matches.
Four practice matches have been pencilled between now and the start of the India Series with the first game taking place this Wednesday.
The other three have slated for June 30, July 2 and July 4.
As to the announcement of the final 15 for the India tour, Whatmore will most likely wait until the eleventh hour before naming his troops.
Online Reporter