Vusumuzi Dube
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE will start off the New Year with a tour to Sri Lanka for three one-day international matches that are part of the International Cricket Council Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.
All three games will be day-night affairs scheduled for 16, 18 and 21 January 2022 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
The Super League is a 13-team competition serving as the main route for qualification for the 2023 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to be staged in India.
Zimbabwe head coach Lalchand Rajput is confident his charges, most of whom have been in good form on the domestic front, will be up for the challenge in Sri Lanka.
“Every game is very important for us because Super League games will decide who can qualify automatically, hence it is important that we prepare well and start well. I am a very confident person and always believe that we can beat Sri Lanka considering that we have had good game time playing the Pro50 tournament,” Rajput said.
Zimbabwe have won only two of their nine Super League matches to date, while they also shared spoils in one of the games which was rained off. They are bottom of the 13-team log with just 25 points.
“We have not started off well in the Super League, but I am confident that with the players in form during the Pro50 matches we will do well against Sri Lanka.
“If we play our best cricket and to our potential, with our best players, there is every chance that we can qualify directly,’’ Rajput said.
Zimbabwe were last in international action in September 2021 when they took on Scotland in three Twenty20 Internationals, a series which concluded 2-1 in favour of Rajput’s boys. – @Mdawini_29
Online Reporter