adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
FOLLOWING the cancellation of Zimbabwe A cricket team’s tour to Bangladesh, Zimbabwe Cricket yesterday announced a 15-member training squad that has started preparing for the much-awaited visits by Australia and South Africa. Cricket giants Australia and South Africa, who are expected to play some of their matches at Bulawayo’s ceremonial home of cricket, Queens Sports Club and Harare are scheduled to tour the country for a One-Day International triangular series in August.
In a telephone interview from Harare yesterday, ZC communications manager Lovemore Banda said they are disappointed with the cancellation of Zimbabwe A tour to Bangladesh as selectors had been hoping to use the trip to shortlist players for the Aussie and Proteas tours.
Zimbabwe A’s tour was cancelled because of the monsoon season in Bangladesh. Monsoons occur when torrential rains hit a usually dry area. In world climates that commonly have a wet season and a dry season, a “monsoon” refers to the shift in wind direction that brings the rain. When temperatures increase over dry regions, the heat causes a drop in surface air pressure over the land.
“Cancellation was beyond anyone’s control and now what we have to do is move on and prepare for the triangular series which is on this August. ZC selectors have come up with a training squad that has started doing some workouts. Please note that this is not the national team squad but just a training side so that selectors can monitor progress of the players and identify those that may be blended with the national team players.
“The selectors had been hoping to use the Bangladesh tour of Zimbabwe A as part of their talent identification process with the hope of getting five players to join the national squad,” said Banda.
The training squad has a number of notable national team players in captain Brendan Taylor, hard-hitting Hamilton Masakadza, top-order batsman Vusi Sibanda, Matabeleland Tuskers skipper Sean Williams, spin bowler Prosper Utseya and seamer Brian Vitori.
From the Zimbabwe A squad, selectors have called Forster Mutizwa, Joylord Gumbi, Neville Madziva and Tafadzwa Kamungodzi.
Cricket enthusiasts have already started gearing up for the tour with the August triangular series being Australia’s first visit in a decade having last played in Zimbabwe in 2004 for three One-Day International matches which they all won.
South Africa last toured Zimbabwe in June last year for an unofficial Twenty20 tri-series also involving Bangladesh. Zimbabwe thrashed South Africa by nine wickets in the final.
Apart from South Africa and Australia, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who have made frequent visits to Zimbabwe, will tour the country in October and December respectively.
Expectations are high that the Aussie and Proteas tours will help ZC’s financial situation to improve as they are likely to get a significant amount of money from television rights.
Training squad
Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Timycen Maruma, Sean Williams, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya, Natsai Mushangwe, Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chakara, Brian Vitori, Forster Mutizwa, Joylord Gumbi, Tafadzwa Kamungodzi, Neville Madziva.
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