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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket convener of selectors David Mutendera says they are looking to grow the pool for national team selection after giving a number of young and upcoming players a chance for exposure against high quality opposition in the games against visiting English Country Cricket sides Glamorgan and Durham.
The county teams, who are among the top first-class clubs within the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, are visiting Zimbabwe as part of their pre-season programmes.
The hosts will field two select teams after shortlisting 28 players, among them exciting prospects like Priviledge Chesa, Brian Bennett, Jonathan Campbell, Tanunurwa Makoni and Trevor Gwandu.
The players were largely rewarded for their performances in the domestic Logan Cup first class competition, which has since been won by Eagles.
The squad is a mixture mainly of fringe national team players and the young guns that have shown potential.
Mutendera said the touring sides will provide the players with the right exposure for high quality competition beginning with the three-day games that start today in Harare.
“Basically we picked some of the guys that have done well in the domestic four-day game and the idea is to give the young and upcoming players as well as the fringe national team players exposure against some high quality opponents.
“We are trying to expand our pool so that we have enough reserves for national team selection. So these guys will get game time and probably the best exposure that they can get at any given moment because county cricket in England comprises professional players, some of whom are international players.
“There is no better way to prepare our players for international cricket than giving them such competition,” said Mutendera.
The tour will start off with Glamorgan, who boast of international players such as Australia’s top Test batter Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser (Australia) and Colin Ingram (South Africa) facing the Northers select at Old Hararians while Durham have a date with Southerns at Harare Sports Club.
The Northerns squad have players such as Faraz Akram, who was among the leading wicket takers during the Logan Cup with 23 scalps, Makoni, who has done well with Tuskers, and some players that have been knocking on the national tam door like William Mashinge, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Prince Masvaure, Tafadzwa Tsiga, veteran Timycen Maruma and Wessly Madhevere who is looking to rediscover himself after taking a tumble on the international scene.
Stuart Matsikenyeri will be in charge of the Northerns side as head coach, with Eric Chauluka (assistant coach), Steve Kirby (bowling coach), Mufaro Chiturumani (analyst/manager) and Amato Machikicho (physiotherapist) completing the team’s technical set-up.
The Southerns select also has an interesting composition with players like Bennett, who recently graduated from the Under-19 team and two of the best performing bowlers during the Logan Cup Tapiwa Mufudza and 22-year-old Chesa.
They also have Tanaka Chivanga to beef up their bowling and national team fringe players Roy Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande Clive, Kudzai Maunze, Carl Mumba Carl and Richmond Mutumbami.
All-rounders Donald Tiripano and Luke Jongwe are also part of the team that is coached by Walter Chawaguta who will be working with Douglas Hondo (assistant coach), Njabulo Ncube (bowling coach/manager), Keith Kulinga (analyst) and Travor Wambe (physiotherapist).
The visitors will play against the local select sides across three formats.
The three-day games will be followed by six T20 matches set for March 8, 9 and 10 at Harare Sports Club, with two matches being played per day. Four 50-over games pencilled in for 12 and 14 March will then wrap up the tour. Commenting on the significance of the tour by the county teams, ZC Managing Director Givemore Makoni said: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Durham and Glamorgan county teams to our country for a very important tour that will go a long way in exposing especially our young and upcoming players to the rigours of high-level cricket.”
Durham last visited Zimbabwe together with Derbyshire in March 2020, but that tour had to be cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while Glamorgan will be in the country for the first time since 1995.
This is the third time that Glamorgan have toured Zimbabwe with the first taking place during March and April 1991 when the Welsh county played a first-class friendly against the national team, as well as taking part in a limited-overs friendly against Worcestershire.
Glamorgan also visited Zimbabwe in April 1995 when they staged games against Matabeleland as well as other local teams.
Director of cricket, Mark Wallace, said: “We are going to get away for pre-season, which will see us go to Zimbabwe.
“The squad hasn’t been abroad for pre-season for quite a few years now so we cannot wait for the experience. “Then we will be back for a pre-season fixture against a strong Somerset side before we play the University and then head into the season.
“Zimbabwe offers a great chance for us to hone our outdoor skills before the beginning of the season, and the group is really looking forward to going away.
“We have heard great things from Kiran Carlson and Eddie Byrom, who have been playing domestic cricket out there all winter, and we can’t wait to join up with them and play some competitive cricket before our opening Championship fixture against Gloucestershire.”
Durham are returning to Zimbabwe following their COVID affected trip in 2020.
The squads selected by ZC for the three-day matches are as follows:
NORTHERNS: Akram Faraz, Gumbie Joylord, Gwandu Trevor, Jaure Keith, Madhevere Wessly, Makoni Tanunurwa, Maruma Timycen, Marumani Tadiwanashe, Mashinge William, Masuku Ernest, Masvaure Prince, Munyonga Tony, Ndlovu Ainsley, Tsiga Tafadzwa
SOUTHERNS: Bennett Brian, Campbell Johnathan, Chesa Priviledge, Chivanga Tanaka, Jongwe Luke, Kaia Roy, Kaitano Takudzwanashe, Madande Clive, Maunze Kudzai, Mpofu Nkosana, Mufudza Tapiwa, Mumba Carl, Mutumbami Richmond, Tiripano Donald
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