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Jeffrey Murimbechi Sports Correspondent
NATIONAL pride and much needed income will be at stake for Zimbabwe’s cricket team when they face Ireland today in the first group B qualifier in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup at the Sylhet Stadium.
The new format only allows the winner of each group to progress to the second round and losing to Ireland will jeopardise Zimbabwe’s chances.
Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor yesterday reckoned that the tie would be one of the defining moments of his team’s career as they have for the first time been placed outside their comfort position and they have to prove to the world and the fans back home that they deserve full member status in all ICC competitions.
“This will be one of the biggest games of our careers even though it is an associate team, we’ve never been in a qualifier situation before and there is massive expectation back home in Zimbabwe from the fans and we need to give a good win. It would not be great to get back home and answer to the faces of the faithful cricket fans who’ve stuck by us for so long. The players are fully aware of this and they will be giving everything to make sure we come out on top,” said Taylor.
Beyond losing the chances of getting into the second round, an Associate nation such as Ireland would be given strong grounds to contest for Zimbabwe’s full member status as they did when they challenged the Southern Africans for a tour just after the 2011 50-over World Cup.
Feisty Irish captain William Porterfield categorically stated his nation’s claims and intentions of wanting to make a strong statement of beating a full member nation and be accorded the same status as Zimbabwe.
“There has been a lot of talk in the ICC and world cricket about restructuring. Anytime we have got a World Cup, we have to perform.”
“It is not just about winning one or two games, it is about doing more than that. The last few World Cups we have been to, we have beaten sides but not been as consistent as we would like. Tomorrow is another great opportunity for us, to try and get a win and set ourselves up for the next game and then we will be in a good position to move forward.
“The intention is not just to qualify but to go on and beat teams in the Super 10. It will mean a lot for Irish cricket. With restructuring and everything going on, it will be a big statement for us to make but we cannot look too farther than tomorrow’s game,” Porterfield told journalists in Sylhet.
Online Reporter