Zim team off to ICC qualifiers

Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe senior women’s side yesterday left the country for Bangladesh to prepare for the 2015 International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifiers.

The women’s side will play two Twenty20 International matches against their Bangladesh counterparts at the Sheikh Kamal International Stadium in the resort town of Cox’s Bazar on November 17 and 19.

After the Bangladesh tour, the squad will proceed to Thailand on November 20 for two other warm-up games against Thailand and Scotland, as part of their continued preparations for the 2015 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier, which will be held in the Thai capital Bangkok from the November 28 to December 5.

Zimbabwe will join event hosts Thailand, as well as Bangladesh, China, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Scotland which all qualified for the 2015 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier through regional tournaments.

All-rounder Chipo Mugeri will captain the 14-member Zimbabwe squad, which will be hoping to qualify for the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 tournament for the first time.

The tournament will be held in India from March 11 to April 3, alongside the men’s event.

“We have retained the bulk of the players who narrowly missed out on qualification at the 2013 event in Ireland and we believe that the players selected will now secure qualification.

“Our preparations have gone according to plan and we are looking to fine-tune our skills with the warm-up matches against Bangladesh, Thailand and Scotland before the tournament proper begins,” said Caroline Nyamande, the Zimbabwe Cricket co-ordinator for women’s cricket who will also be the team manager for the tour.

Team

Chipo Mugeri (captain), Precious Marange (vice-Captain), Christabel Chatonzwa, Tasmeen Granger, Sharne Mayers, Audrey Mazvishaya, Thandakwenkosi Mlilo, Pellagia Mujaji, Modester Mupachikwa, Mary-Anne Musonda, Nomatter Mutasa, Josephine Nkomo

Event Fixtures

November 28 – Thailand v Bangladesh, Ireland v Netherlands, PNG v Scotland, China v Zimbabwe.

November 29 – China v Ireland, Scotland v Bangladesh, Zimbabwe v Netherlands, Thailand v PNG.

Tuesday 1 December – Thailand v Scotland, Bangladesh v PNG, Zimbabwe v Ireland, Netherlands v China.

December 3 – Trophy semi-final 1 (A1 versus B2), Shield semi-final 1 (A3 versus B4), Trophy semi-final 2 (B1 versus A2), Shield semi-final 2 (B3 versus A4)