Online Reporter
Eddie Chikamhi
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE stand-in captain Sikandar Raza wants his charges to aim for higher standards when they host world champions Australia in a three-match One Day International series that begins today at Harare Sports Club.
The Chevrons welcome the Australians on home soil for the first time since 2014, and Raza believes this is a rare chance for his team to make an impression in world cricket since they do not often get opportunities against top teams.
“I want to say thank you to Zimbabwe Cricket and to Cricket Australia for having this series. I always believe cricket is always better when the distance between the two teams are not as much, and the lower-ranked teams can only bridge that gap by playing against the top-ranked teams,” he said.
“So certainly, a lot of belief going into the boys that playing in front of our home crowd in our home conditions as well, and also just the excitement of the fact that we are playing the top nation.
“We all know that when we put on the jersey, we want to earn their respect and their seat at the high table for other countries to pay attention to Zimbabwe, and that’s where the aim is for us.” Australia have dominated the ODI engagements, with Zimbabwe winning 29 of the games while Zimbabwe only claimed three wins since their first meeting in 1971.
The two teams last met in the format on Zimbabwean soil during a triangular series in August and September 2014, which also featured South Africa.
But Zimbabwe can draw confidence from the last two encounters between the teams in ODIs and T20Is, in which the Chevrons pulled off surprise victories.
Zimbabwe beat Australia by three wickets in their own backyard in Townsville in the last ODI match in 2022 and also shocked the cricket world when they claimed a 23-run victory at the T20 World Cup held in India and Sri Lanka earlier this year.
“Certainly, the last two games have been very good for us against Australia and we’re going into this game with a lot of good memories. But, certainly the past results do not play any part into what’s to come.
“Australia has been playing a lot of cricket in the recent past, as well in the longer format as well. So, they’ve had a lot of ODI and test cricket as well, which certainly helps.
“But playing at home gives us that extra push, and in front of our own fans certainly gives us that extra kick that we need that we can achieve something here,” said Raza.
The all-rounder said Zimbabwe needed to adjust quickly on a familiar surface and take the front foot in the series. Most of Australia’s players are touring Zimbabwe for the first time, with the exception of their stand-in captain Mitch Marsh, who also had part of his childhood years with his family in Zimbabwe when his father, Geoff, was head coach of the Chevrons.
“These are our home conditions, and we have a bit of a better idea, but having said that, Mitch Marsh was here for three-and-a-half years, so he’s practically a local as well. But having said that, we play a lot of cricket at Harare Sports Club.
“So, yes, the conditions will be slightly different because the weather has changed (since the last time they played there). We’re trying to put in other conditions that would help us if we play good cricket to achieve the result and rightly so.
“So, it is very important that we hit the ground running and throw the first punch rather than allow opposition to get into the game and understand our conditions and work there are before we can,” said Raza.
Raza, who is the T20I captain, was handed the responsibility to lead the side in the place of injured ODI skipper, Richard Ngarava, who is still recovering from a back injury.
“Richard will be missed. Zimbabwe cricket has named him the leader for the longer format, so we wouldn’t just miss his bowling; we would also miss his leadership skills as well.
“Injuries are part and parcel of anyone’s life, more so with the fast bowlers. But his rehab is going really well, and he’s making really good progress, and we are all very hopeful that he’ll be back sooner than planned.
“And in the same breath, opportunity sometimes presents itself in funny ways, so I think this is a time when the guys who have been given the opportunity should raise their hand and basically help Zimbabwe cricket to have a bigger pool of players,” said Raza.
The upcoming series represents an important step in both teams’ preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027, which the country will co-host with South Africa and Namibia.
Teams:
Zimbabwe squad: Sikandar Raza (c), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brendan Taylor, Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine, Ernest Masuku, Graeme Cremer, Innocent Kaia, Newman Nyamhuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere
Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Oliver Peake, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Adam Zampa
