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ZC moves to fill FTP gaps

Sport
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is looking to fill in gaps on the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for next year, with tours against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is looking to fill in gaps on the Future Tours Programme (FTP) for next year, with tours against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

by Kevin Mapasure

ZC is in talks with the respective nations for possible tours, but also has a plan in place for several A side matches.

Zimbabwe have a scheduled tour to Sri Lanka in June next year and are also looking to travel to the West Indies.

According to the FTP, Zimbabwe only have two tours next year, but ZC is looking to have more cricket in the first half of 2017.

ZC board chairperson, Tavengwa Mukhuhlani confirmed that his organisation was looking to organise international matches for the first half of the year.

“There is something being worked on but nothing has been finalised. We are looking at having a number of A tours. At the moment all we have is what is provided for on the FTP, but we want to see if we can have some international cricket before Sri Lanka,” he said.

Zimbabwe coach, Heath Streak, who was appointed in October, lamented the paucity of international cricket and ZC is moving to give the national team players more game time.

This year, Zimbabwe played India in limited overs in series before a Test series against New Zealand, which was hosted in Bulawayo.

They also hosted Sri Lanka for two Tests as well as triangular series that also involved the West Indies.

Next year the Sri Lanka tour provides the platform for Zimbabwe to play its first Test match away from home since November 2014, where they were whitewashed by Bangladesh.

Before that Zimbabwe is likely to host Afghanistan and possibly Bangladesh.

The last time that Afghanistan toured Zimbabwe, they beat their hosts 3-2 in the one-day international series and also won the Twenty-20 series 2-0 in a tour that took place in October last year.