Zim ready to end Test exile?

a one-off Test and five one-day internationals starting next week.
The tourists are expected in the country tomorrow and the hosts are excited by the prospect of returning to the game after spending six years in self-imposed exile.

With the realisation that Test cricket provides a great opportunity for the national team to play more competitive international cricket, Zimbabwe are eager to get involved and they believe they have done enough to compete at the highest level.
But what could be of greater interest to the world is the country’s preparedness, in the wake of developments and reforms instituted to prop up the game in the last five years.

Coach Alan Butcher and his charges will next week take the first step in what appears to be a long and arduous journey when they welcome Bangladesh in their first Test match since September 2005.
However, the Bangladesh team will arrive at a time when Zimbabwe are still smarting from a defeat by visiting Australia A side in two four-day games that ended at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

The home team lost the first match by seven wickets at Country Club last week and was on the receiving end again by an innings and 18 runs in the second match at Harare Sports Club.
Although Zimbabwe had flashes of good individual performances from players like Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza, their batting still need attention going into their first Test.

Assistant coach Steve Mangongo believes the tour was worthwhile for the Zimbabweans as Australia had brought a strong side that incorporated players with Test experience like Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle.
And to show how serious the tour was for the Australians, six players who were in the squad that toured Zimbabwe this month were yesterday included in a 15-member squad to play Sri Lanka.
Siddle, Michael Beer, Trent Copeland, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon were among the players fighting for recognition during the tour and were duly rewarded.

But Mangongo recently said Zimbabwe had world class competition from the Australians and was happy they had shown great improvement at the crease.
“I think everything is on course but we had (moments of) individual performances. What we need to do now is to make sure that when we set in we should convert and get big scores.

“If you want to win a Test match you need to convert your good starts. We had four guys getting 50’s and those guys should have converted. We are not far off the mark because we had good individual performances,” he said.

Southern Rocks’ left arm fast bowler Brian Vitori was probably the find of the pre-season and is set to get a place in the team after some good performances with the ball despite being too short on experience.
Captain Brendan Taylor is an asset but Zimbabwe will be hoping that Tatenda Taibu fully recovers from a thump injury that sidelined him for last month’s commitments.
Zimbabwe will also miss key players like Graeme Cremer, Terry Duffin and Greg Lamb through injuries.

But all eyes will be on the team’s first impressions during the next month. Zimbabwe are also set to host Pakistan in September and New Zealand in October for single Test matches and one-dayers.
Zimbabwe withdrew from Test Cricket in September 2005 after ZC had decided that they would no longer continue to field a weakened side.

It has been almost six years since then and times have change for Zimbabwe Cricket following the introduction of a thriving franchise system was set up almost two years ago and the engagement of many players plying their trade in a very competitive domestic league.