Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
AFTER the utter frustration of seeing their historic ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup opener against Scotland abandoned without a single ball being bowled on Thursday, the Zimbabwe Under-19s are desperately looking for a change of luck.
The heavens may have opened over Takashinga Cricket Club in Harare, but the Young Chevrons must now clear their heads and prepare for a heavyweight showdown against England at the same venue tomorrow.
It is a high-stakes scenario for the Elton Chigumbura-mentored side; currently sitting on a solitary point, they know they need to find a way to dismantle the English if they want to keep their dreams of the Super Six stage alive in youth cricket’s biggest arena.
It is a massive ask. England are seasoned campaigners at this level, having climbed the mountain as world champions in 1998 and finishing as runners-up in both 1988 and 2022.
While the players focus on their drills, the rest of the country will be obsessively checking the horizon. As co-hosts, Zimbabwe simply cannot afford another washout.
However, the forecast for Harare is looking somewhat ominous, predicting a 55 percent chance of rain and a 33 percent probability of thunderstorms.
With a thick 96 percent cloud cover expected to hang over the city, and rain predicted for at least an hour-and-a-half in the afternoon, the drainage system at the Highfield facility is about to face its ultimate test.
Despite the damp start to the tournament, Zimbabwe Cricket chairperson Tavengwa Mukuhlani remains upbeat, viewing the hosting of the World Cup as a transformative moment for the nation as they look toward co-hosting the senior Men’s World Cup in 2027.
“For us, this is a big jump, a big step in the right direction in the sense that this is the first time that we are hosting an ICC U19 World Cup and it brings with it infrastructure development.
It brings with it a lot of goodwill on the part of the country. We have built that over time by hosting the qualifiers for women and for the men.
But the World Cup is the biggest event for the ICC and more so that we are co-hosting with South Africa and Namibia in the main World Cup in 2027.
So, this Under-19 World Cup 2026 helps us, one as Zimbabwe Cricket, two as a country to prepare us for the main World Cup which comes in 2027,” said Mukuhlani.
The tournament, which Zimbabwe is co-hosting alongside Namibia, runs until February 6 and represents a massive milestone for the local game.
The Young Chevrons are set to play all their Group C matches at Takashinga — a venue scheduled to host seven group-stage fixtures in total.
Even though the rain ruined the opening day, the spirits of the local fans haven’t been crushed; a huge crowd turned up early to show their support, proving that the appetite for world-class cricket in Zimbabwe is higher than ever.
After tomorrow’s vital clash with England, the hosts will wrap up their group stage against Pakistan on Thursday in what promises to be another pulse-pounding afternoon in Harare.
While the capital waits on the weather, cricket fans in Bulawayo are in for a genuine treat as 2020 finalists India and Bangladesh prepare to lock horns in a Group B thriller at Queens Sports Club.
Both sides are heavy hitters and tournament favourites; India, in particular, has a staggering record, having reached the final in each of the last five tournaments.
They took home the trophy in 2018 and 2022, though they had to settle for second place in 2016, 2020, and 2024.
Meanwhile, Japan will be testing themselves against Sri Lanka today in Windhoek. Tomorrow, alongside the Zimbabwe-England match, New Zealand face the USA in Bulawayo, while Afghanistan and the West Indies battle it out in Namibia.
With all matches free to the public, there is no excuse to miss the action.
Bongani Ndlovu