BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
HARARE – Wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva will continue to lead Zimbabwe in the absence of injured regular captain Craig Ervine while premier pace bowler Blessing Muzarabani has returned to the side for the daunting three-match ODI tour of Australia.
The Zimbabweans flew out of Harare on Tuesday a day after fighting gallantly against India at home but lost the final ODI to be whitewashed 3-0 by the Asian giants in the series.
Dave Houghton’s charges have seen a marked improvement in performance since the former Zimbabwe captain took over as head coach in June.
Under the 64-year-old Houghton, Zimbabwe sealed a place at October’s T20 World Cup in Australia after winning all their five matches of a qualification tournament in Bulawayo in April.
The Chevrons continued their impressive white-ball form by defeating Bangladesh 2-1 in both the T20 and ODI series in Harare, displaying a new-found sense of belief that had been glaringly lacking in the side over the past decade or so.
Talismanic batsman Sikandar Raza has been the key man in Zimbabwe’s recent turnaround, and he has been one of the best batters in world cricket in the limited over formats over the past few months.
Meanwhile, fast bowler Muzarabani, who has recovered from a thigh muscle tear, is the only addition to the side that played against India in the just-ended series in Harare.
In a statement, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) said skipper Ervine, Tendai Chatara, Wellington Masakadza and Milton Shumba “are still sidelined by hamstring, collarbone fracture, shoulder tendon and quadriceps injuries respectively.”
The series is part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, a 13-team competition serving as the main route for direct qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.
The three ODIs against the Aussies will be played in Townsville on 28 August, 21 August and 3 September.
ZIMBABWE SQUAD
Regis Chakabva (captain), Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams.
