Zimbabwe names U19 provisional cricket team

Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe Cricket on Tuesday announced a 27-man provisional Under-19 team that will be used to prepare for the 2024 World Cup in January.

The team includes five players from Bulawayo schools.

The local boys who made the team are Munashe Chimusoro from Christian Brothers College, Sean Dzikita and Nkosibongwe Gogode both from Milton Boys High School, Nathaniel Hlabangani, Huggins Machaka and Dylan Nzvenga all from Falcon College.

The other selected players are: Sean Bennett, John Mark Benadie, Villan Changa, Dhaneel Goven, Panashe Gwatiringa, Ryan Kamwemba, Campbell MacMillian, Joshua Martell, Liam Mudenga, Tinotenda Mushonga, Tadiwanashe Mushope, Newman Nyamhuri, Ronak Patel, Declan Rugg, Matthew Schocken, Dennis Serima, Brendon Sunguro, Mashford Shungu, Panashe Taruvinga, Carlton Takawira and Arineshto Vezha.

For the team’s preparation short, medium- and long-term targets will be set and they will work around the schools’ calendar as most of the players are in high school.

The squad will also be cut down going forward.

“It’s a 27-man working squad for Zimbabwe Under 19s World Cup 2024, so we start now to prepare and slowly trim down the number as we progress,” said Zimbabwe Under 19 head coach and former Chevrons international Prosper Utseya.

Utseya believes the selected team has the capabilities of taking it a step further than the last group.

Zimbabwe finished 12th at the last Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies after they managed just two wins, against Papua New Guinea in the group stages and Scotland in the Plate quarter-finals.

“The potential is there and we have enough time on our side to best prepare the boys,” said the former Chevrons captain.

Zimbabwe Cricket is organising tours to ensure that the team is well prepared and ready for the challenge.

“We are going to instil the right values, ethics and confidence in them that they are the best selected squad to have a chance to represent Zimbabwe in a prestigious tournament at youth international cricket,” Utseya added.