ZIMBABWE cricket senior men’s team head coach Justin Sammons says the Chevrons’ primary focus as they gear up for the upcoming Bangladesh series has been sharpening their own preparations and recapturing match intensity after an extended break from international cricket.
Bangladesh arrived in Zimbabwe on Monday for a tour that spans Test, One-Day Internationals and T20I cricket across Harare and Bulawayo this June and July, the team’s first major home assignment since their historic run to the Super Eight stage of this year’s T20 World Cup, which stands as the country’s deepest-ever penetration at that tournament.
The series opens at Harare Sports Club on Sunday with a lone Test match, scheduled to run from June 28 to July 2.
Three ODIs at the same venue follow on July 6, 9 and 11, before the action shifts to Bulawayo, where Queens Sports Club hosts the three-match T20Is leg on July 15, 17 and 19.
Sammons told NewsDay Sport that the squad’s energy had been firmly directed inward.
“Yeah, I mean, look, at the moment, to be honest, our focus has heavily just been on our own preparation,” Sammons said.
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“That’s the thing that we can control for the moment, and that’s what we’ll continue to focus on.
“The message will come to the group closer to the time. But certainly I think one of the big things will be our intensity and are we able to match the required match intensity of international cricket again from ball one after having not played for so long, especially Test cricket since October, any form of cricket since the beginning of March.”
He added: “You know, it’s been a long time.
“So I think the big challenge for us is going out and getting that intensity right from ball one.
“But like I say, for now, the focus has very much been on our own preparations.”
The Bangladesh series presents Sammons with an opportunity to extend squad depth and sharpen match readiness, with the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup cycle firmly in the background as a target horizon.
Zimbabwe will co-host the 2027 World Cup alongside South Africa and Namibia.
Richard Ngarava is poised to captain Zimbabwe in both Test and ODI cricket for the first time since being appointed to the role in December, succeeding left-hander, veteran Craig Ervine.
Talented allrounder Brian Bennett was named Ngarava’s deputy across both formats.
Zimbabwe enjoys a slightly head to head advantage over Bangladesh since the two teams played their first matches against each other in Bulawayo back in 2001.
The Chevrons have won 8 matches, while Bangladesh have won 7, with 5 ending in draws.
However, the two countries last met last year in Bangladesh for a two match series which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Zimbabwe won the first game in Sylhet by three wickets before the Tigers roared back with an innings and 106 runs victory in the second match.