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THE Zimbabwe cricket team continued with its preparations for the forthcoming cricket tour of Pakistan with the players reporting for duty at Harare Sports Club yesterday. The national team will have a morning practice again at the same venue today, tomorrow, on Monday and Tuesday and then train in the afternoon on Wednesday and morning on Thursday, before the tour opens on Friday afternoon with the first Twenty20 International match.
The ZC said in a statement yesterday that all was now set for the team to intensify its preparations ahead of their clash against Pakistan.
“The second Twenty20 International match is on Saturday afternoon.
“After that, the HSC will host three One-Day International matches on the 27th, the 29th and the 31st of this month and the first Test match, which starts on the 3rd of next month,” the ZC said. “Thereafter, the tour will move to Bulawayo for the second and final Test match, which is scheduled for the Queens Sports Club from the 10th to the 14th of next month.
“The Pakistan squad for the limited overs matches of the month-long tour is expected in Harare on Monday.
“There has been one change in their Test squad which had been announced for the tour.
“Opener Imran Farhat, who has 40 Test caps, has told the Pakistan selection committee that there are personal matters that need his attention and so he is unable to tour. He has been replaced in the Pakistan Test squad by another left-handed batsman — the uncapped Shan Masood.”
Cricinfo reported yesterday that Zimbabwe’s players were “back to full training,” and are likely to rubber-stamp an agreement with their board today after agreeing terms on payment. The newly formed players’ union will continue to represent cricketers’ issues and the series against Pakistan will go ahead as planned.
ESPNcricinfo confirmed the players have reached consensus with Zimbabwe Cricket after two days of meetings. One of them, who asked not to be named, said ZC had provided an assurance that outstanding salaries from the month of July would be paid and that cricketers would receive match fees from now on.
“We wanted to make them aware we were the only international team that were playing without match fees,” the player said.
“Now we will be receiving them.”
The issue of disbursements from the board’s share of ICC events, which ZC MD Wilfred Mukondiwa said yesterday was the only outstanding article of debate, has still not been resolved.
Instead, the players have been told the board needs “more time to do research,” and would clarify its position on how the monies from such tournaments would be distributed in an appendix to the new playing contracts.
With financial concerns smoothed over, the players will continue to prepare for the series against Pakistan that starts on August 23.
“Training has resumed in full and as things stand now, there will be no boycott of the series,” the player said.
The players’ association — formed by a group of senior players believed to be Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya and Elton Chigumbura —will become a permanent fixture in Zimbabwe cricket.
“It was something the players put together because we did not have a proper arrangement in the past.
“The board is now open to the idea of having a player association and we wanted to take that chance,” the player said.
“There are a lot if issues that crop up in Zimbabwean cricket and without a singular voice it was very difficult for us to get things done.”
Zimbabwe Practice Squad:
Brendan Taylor (captain and wicket-keeper, Sikandar Raza Butt, Regis Chakabva,Tendai Chatara, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Michael Chinouya, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Kyle Jarvis, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirai Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Natsai M’shangwe, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller and Sean Williams.
Pakistan
T20 squad: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal (wicket-keeper), Anwar Ali, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Zulfiqar Babar, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Junaid Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Ahmed Shahzad, Haris Sohail and Sohail Tanvir.
ODI squad:
Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal (wicket-keeper), Anwar Ali, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Junaid Khan, Abdul Rehman, Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shahzad and Haris Sohail.
Test squad:
Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Ehsan Adil, Saeed Ajmal, Adnan Akmal (wicket-keeper), Azhar Ali, Rahat Ali, Shan Masood, Mohammad Hafeez, Faisal Iqbal, Junaid Khan, Younis Khan, Khurram Manzoor, Wahab Riaz, Abdul Rehman and Asad Shafiq. — Sports Reporter/Cricinfo.
Online Reporter