ASHER MOYO
SPORTS REPORTER
HARARE-Zimbabwe National Cricket Team will next week tour Namibia for five, Twenty20 International (T20I) matches as part of their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier 2023.
The two sides will face off in Windhoek on October 24, 25, 27, 29 and 30.
Both teams are using the series to fine-tune for Africa’s final qualifier tournament that will be held in Namibia from November 20 to 1 December to decide two spots at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 to be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America.
Zimbabwe Head Coach Dave Houghton said the team need to get back to winning ways.
“This is the first time we have played together as a team since the 50-over World Cup qualifiers and we need to get back to our winning ways. No one in the squad has experienced Namibian conditions, or how the wickets play, so this will give us that insight, prior to the T20 qualifiers in November,” he said.
Apart from Zimbabwe and Namibia, the other countries taking part in the regional event are Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with the tournament’s top two teams qualifying for the global showpiece.
Houghton added that his charges are going into the battle as favourites.
“Obviously as the only ICC Full Member, we will quite rightly be the favourites. My message is very clear , we will go to win every game and qualification will take care of itself. It’s important that we not only win, but totally dominate in the region,” he added.
Meanwhile Zimbabwe have named a strong squad of 16 players for the five-match T20 international series.
The side includes two uncapped players, opening batter Nick Welch and wicketkeeper-batter Nyasha Mavavo.Opening batter Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, pace bowlers Carl Mumba and Faraz Akram have earned recalls on the back of strong performances in domestic competitions.
The nucleus of the team has been retained, with the captain Craig Ervine travelling to Namibia together with the experienced trio of Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Tendai Chatara.
Richard Ngarava, Wellington Masakadza and Ryan Burl are also part of the squad, while Blessing Muzarabani, who is still recuperating from a right-hand fracture sustained during a National Premier League match last month, is the only notable absentee.
Zim squad
Akram Faraz, Burl Ryan, Chatara Tendai, Ervine Craig (captain), Jongwe Luke, Kaia Innocent, Kamunhukamwe Tinashe, Madande Clive, Madhevere Wessly, Masakadza Wellington, Mayavo Nyasha, Mumba Carl, Ngarava Richard, Raza Sikandar, Welch Nick, Williams Sean
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