NATIONAL cricket team interim coach Steven Mangongo has warned his players to raise their game ahead of the upcoming home series against Bangladesh, saying only a home series win against the Asian side could atone for the team’s horror show in the Caribbean.
REPORT BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
Zimbabwe host Bangladesh in two Test matches at Harare Sports Club from April 17-29 before the two teams move to Bulawayo for the limited-overs matches which consist of three ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals at Queens Sports Club from May 3-12.
For Mangongo, who will take over the team on an interim basis after the expiry of head coach Alan Butcher’s contract, the upcoming tour presence the team with a good chance to redeem themselves after what he described as a deplorable performance during the Caribbean tour.
Zimbabwe were humiliated by the West Indies, losing all seven international fixtures – three ODIs, two T20s and two Tests with both Tests ending inside three days.
“Our performance in the West Indies was deplorable to say the least and it’s not the type of display you expect from a professional side, more so a national team, but from a social side which has nothing to fight for.
“Save for the bowling department which showed some promise, all the other facets of our game are in tatters and we really need to work hard.
“The batsmen know they have to raise their game and there is no better place to start doing that than in our own home conditions during the upcoming Bangladesh series,” said Mangongo.
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Zimbabwe have always performed well on home soil, but a fast-improving Bangladesh team is expected to give them a run for their money.
While Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh on their return to Test cricket in August 2011 after a six-year absence from the longer format of the game, a similar performance is not guaranteed this time around.
Mangongo said they were aware of Bangladesh’s recent improved form.
“We are fully aware of their significant improvement especially recently in Sri Lanka. We will give them the respect like any other international side, but we are going to work very hard to ensure that we don’t lose to them in our own conditions.
“We have to make sure that if they have progressed, we manage to bridge that gap because we cannot afford to fall behind Bangladesh if we are to be taken as a serious cricketing nation,” he said.
