Zimbabwe Cricket Announces Squad to Face Pakistan

By Perkins-Tino Bare

Zimbabwe Cricket announced their squad to play Pakistan in the series on the 27^h of September in which the Chevrons will play 3 ODIs and 2 T20s.

The squad includes has been dubbed `performance -related by convenor of selectors Kenyon Ziehl. “It’s a squad based on building a performance-related culture and giving a platform to the younger players to prove their ability,”. This comes as a revelation as, of late, despite the poor performances from the team the selectors just kept rotating the same old horses with Prosper Utseya as the most painful thorn in that bunch.The team that was selected for the task is therefore expected to be going through their paces as we speak at the Harare Sports Club with the series kicking off in about a week`s time.

The squad comprise of wicket-keeper batsman Richmond Mutumbami who comes in for the dropped Regis Chakabva. As the selectors still search for the man who will go ahead to replace Brendan Taylor as the wicket-keeper batsman, this time round Mutumbami gets another chance to boost his candidacy even though he is not my favourite in that regards especially considering that we also have Regis Chakabva and Charles Coventry in that equation.

Taurai Muzarabani and John Nyumbu are also the other notable inclusions in the squad which is no less from what we have seen from the past couple of years from Zimbabwe Cricket. John Nyumbu hasn`t really broke into the Chevron line-up but judging from the little that we have seen him play he is quite a decent player. He has played out 11 ODI`s and has 13 wickets to his name in the innigs that he has turned out for the Chevrons. His economy is not that bad at 5.39 and also I keep referring to it but he played brilliantly in the tri-angular series that nclede Australia and South Africa in which he took a couple of wickets himself in the game we played against Australia. He also has 151 First Class wickets from the 54 games he has played so far and the kid may not outright be that marvel we have been looking for but given a chance like what Kenyon Ziehl has decided this time, he might once again impresss us all.

The other rare inclusion Taurai Muzarabani has also played a couple of matches for the Chevrons and, for a young player , what he lacks is that sparkle, that light that`s deep within not shining brighlty but just showing that there is indeed a bright future. Maybe he will pick it up with time but for his age we also expect to be blown away like we were did by the likes of Brain Vitori even though they failed to kick on. Just for those who are not familiar with the lad,(I can assure you he does indeed play cricket and not football), he bowls right-arm fast medium. He is still to get his full ODI cap but thus far he has played 3 T20`s in which he was able to notch-up 2 wickets at an economy of 10.33. With 55 List A wickets, it is indeed a good thing that Zimbabwe Cricket has given the lads a chance to stamp their names onto the Chevron line-up and we hope they will be able to make us all proud when Pakistan comes for the return leg.

Other names in the squad include Elton Chigumbura who will lead the team and Chamunorwa Chibhabha, whom we all expect to continue with his blistering form with the bat . Graeme Cremer and Craig Ervine are also in that squad and they should add depth to that middle order together with Sikander Raza and Malcolm Waller.

The bowling department looks juts as handsome as Neville Madziva is slowly becoming a regular in the squad. He has also showed some good form with the ball and that as well is expected to continue. Luke Jongwe and Tinashe Panyangara are alos in that same squad and it seems as if it has been a while since we last saw some magic from Tinashe Panyangara, not taking away anything from the fact that he hasn`t been bowling badly either.

Sena Williams and Hamilton Masakadza are also in that squad and we`ll surely be looking forward to some runs especially from Hamilton Masakadza.

The surprise inclusion in the squad certainly has to be Prosper Utseya who has been pathetic to say the least and it just baffles the mind why he is being kept in that squad. The 30 year old has failed to get a wicket in the past three matches we played conceding figures of 46 40m and 30. Though he has proved to be economical, we do not need to behave as if we do not have bowlers who are waiting to get a call-up, since the man is not getting us any wickets, the onl noble thing to do is to give others the ball.

Chevrons squad: Elton Chigumbura (c), Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Luke Jongwe, Neville Madziva, Hamilton Masakadza, Christopher Mpofu, Richmond Mutumbami (wk), Taurai Muzarabani, John Nyumbu, Tinashe Panyangara, Sikandar Raza, Prosper Utseya, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams.

Feedback@ perkinstinobare.blogspot.com