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THE Zimbabwe cricket team is set to face a South Africa emerging side in two four-day matches and three one-day games at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo this week.
The two sides will then move to Kwekwe for the second unofficial Test, scheduled for 9-12 August, before proceeding to the capital for three limited-overs matches.
The one-day games are set for August 16, 18 and 20 at Harare Sports Club. The South Africa Emerging squad are expected to arrive in Bulawayo today.
Zimbabwe have named strong squads for the four-day matches and limited-overs games.
Zimbabwe’s preparations for next year’s ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup will continue in earnest this week with four one-day matches against Kenya Under-19s scheduled for Kwekwe. The matches will be played on August 3, 4, 6 and 7 at Kwekwe Sports Club.
The Kenyan side is scheduled to land in Harare today before proceeding to Kwekwe by road. This tour comes hard on the heels of the Zimbabwe Under-19 side’s 1-2 series loss to the West Indies Under-19s in Harare.
Zimbabwe Cricket has stopped at nothing to ensure the national Under-19 side, coached by Stephen Mangongo, is well prepared for the 2018 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup to be held in New Zealand from January 13 to February 3.
Before facing the West Indies, Zimbabwe whitewashed Namibia in a reciprocal series and also played as the High Performance Centre XI against Canada.
Mangongo’s charges were also involved in a tri-series in South Africa featuring the hosts and Sri Lanka, while the young Zimbabweans had earlier toured Malaysia.
After the one-day matches against Kenya, the Zimbabwe Under-19s are scheduled to tour Australia and India before going to the global showpiece.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter