FORMER Zimbabwe cricket team coach, Stephen Mangongo believes the Africa T20 Cup tournament underway in South Africa will provide an important platform to groom the country’s emerging cricketers into future international stars.
by SPORTS REPORTER
Mangongo is in charge of the Zimbabwe emerging side for the Twenty20 tournament, which includes six players, who were part of the national junior side for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup held in Bangladesh early this year.
“We are looking to give an international platform and exposure to young guys, who have graduated from our Under-19 World Cup side,” he said.
“It’s vital to create a pathway for these talented youngsters … it’s not about immediate results.”
The Africa T20 Cup, organised by Cricket South Africa, involves South African provincial teams and national representative sides from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya.
Zimbabwe were drawn in Pool C of this year’s tournament and begin their campaign with a fixture against Free State at Buffalo Park in the coastal city of East London today.
The match starts at 12:45pm.
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Tomorrow, Zimbabwe take on Border in a day-night encounter scheduled for 4:30pm, before they face Easterns on Sunday in their last group fixture starting at 9:45am. Both matches will be played at Buffalo Park.
Participating teams were drawn into four groups and only the pool winners will proceed to the semi-finals pencilled in for 30 September. Six members of the Zimbabwe squad, William Mashinge, Jeremy Ives, Ryan Murray, Brandon Mavuta, Rugare Magarira and Richard Ngarava, played at this year’s ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.
The emerging side will, however, look to captain Shingi Masakadza and Peter Joseph Moor for leadership, with Wellington Masakadza and Timycen Maruma also providing some vital international experience to the team.
“They are a talented bunch and with the leadership of Shingi (Masakadza) in the bowling department and PJ (Moor) in batting, they have good, disciplined mentors,” Mangongo said.
Zimbabwe Emerging Squad: Peter Moor, George Banda, Bothwell Chapungu, Brian Chari, Jeremy Ives, Malcolm Lake, Tendai Maruma, Shingirai Masakadza (Captain), Wellington Masakadza, William Mashinge, Brandon Mavuta, Ryan Murray, Richard Ngarava Reserves: Milton Shumba and Dion Mazhawidza
