THE national cricket team will play four warm-up matches before kick-starting their campaign in the qualifiers for the ICC World Twenty20 competition in Bangladesh following the confirmation of two extra warm matches against the Bangladesh Board XI side.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO SPORTS REPORTER
Zimbabwe, who leave Harare for Bangladesh this evening, were expected to play two matches against Hong Kong and Afghanistan before their first match against Ireland on March 17.
The warm-up match against Hong Kong had been slated for next Wednesday in Chittagong, ahead of the second match Afghanistan two days later.
However, the team is now expected to play two extra warm up matches in addition to the mandatory two organised by the ICC after Zimbabwe Cricket reached an agreement with their Bangladesh counterparts.
The agreement means Zimbabwe, who haven’t played international cricket since September will become one of the first participating teams to arrive in Bangladesh.
In an interview NewsDay Sport yesterday, national cricket team assistant coach Steven Mangongo said the extra matches would be a huge boost to the team’s preparations and they would allow them to acclimatise quickly to the Bangladesh conditions.
“We are happy with the travel arrangements made by ZC because we are travelling at least five days before the due date of arrival. According to the due date of arrival set by the ICC we were supposed to leave by the 8th of March, but we are leaving on the 5th which gives us a little bit of extra time.
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“ZC have also organised another two extra warm-up matches against Bangladesh Board XI team so basically we will have four warm-up games including the matches against Hong Kong and Afghanistan which is very important for us to get the guys ready,” he said. Zimbabwe needs to finish top of group B comprising Ireland, Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates to progress to the next phase. The Brendan Taylor-coached side opens their campaign against Ireland on March 17 ahead of their clash with the Netherlands two days later before completing preliminary group stage action against United Arab Emirates on March 21.
Mangongo said it was important for the national side to progress to the Super 10 phase to justify their status as a Test playing nation.
“Our sights now are set on the qualifiers where we have to bring our A-game and perform well so that we get into the main tournament. We know that it’s very critical for us to jump that hurdle and show the world that we don’t belong in the qualifying group. So it’s very critical that we make that statement,” said Mangongo.
The 15-man squad for the tournament, which begins on March 16, was belatedly submitted to the ICC following a player strike that had put the team’s participation in doubt. The players were only paid after the struggling Zimbabwe cricket board was given a $3 million loan by the ICC.
Another impasse has yet again threatened to plunge Zimbabwe’s preparations into turmoil as the players are demanding a 25% share of the revenue from the tournament reserved a for a salary fund, a proposal rejected by the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) board.
Zimbabwe’s cricketers have resolved not boycott the ICC World Twenty20 competition, but will continue to demand that the board to set aside their share of the tournament revenue to guarantee payment for the next 12 months.
Zimbabwe Squad: Brendan Taylor (captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya, Vusi Sibanda, Sikandar Raza, Brian Vitori, Tendai Chatara, Sean Williams, Malcolm Waller, Timycen Maruma, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Tinashe Panyangara, Natsai Mushangwe, Shingi Masakadza
