Harare, October 9 (Daily Kiran) : Zimbabwe Cricket has officially announced its limited-overs squads for the upcoming tour of the UAE. The team will participate in a One Day International (ODI) tri-series against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, followed by three T20 International matches and two Test matches against Afghanistan.
This extensive tour is scheduled to run from October 17 to November 17. The selectors have retained players from the recent white-ball series, while Richard Ngarava continues to recover from a back injury. In his absence, Sikandar Raza will once again lead the ODI team and will also captain the T20 side.
The ODI squad largely mirrors the team that faced Australia in Harare last month. However, Tafadzwa Tsiga and Vincent Masaketsa have been included in place of Innocent Kaia and Graeme Cremer. Zimbabwe Cricket stated that Kaia is working towards full fitness after a thigh injury, with hopes he will be ready for the T20 series.
Both Tsiga and Masaketsa are in contention for their ODI debuts, adding depth to the squad. The team comprises a mix of seasoned international players and emerging talent. Raza, Craig Ervine, and Brendan Taylor bring experience to the batting lineup, alongside Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, and Tadiwanashe Marumani.
Blessing Muzarabani will spearhead the fast bowling attack, supported by Brad Evans, Ernest Masuku, and Newman Nyamhuri. Masaketsa will join spin options with Wellington Masakadza and all-rounders. Masaketsa is also part of the T20 International squad, vying for his debut alongside Tsiga. For the third T20 International, Evans will be replaced by Kundai Matigimu.
Zimbabwe will kick off the ODI tri-series against Bangladesh on October 17 before facing Afghanistan on October 19. The host team will meet Bangladesh in the final round-robin match on October 21, with the top two teams advancing to the final on October 23. Following the tri-series, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will compete in three T20 matches on October 27, 29, and November 1. The tour will conclude with two Test matches scheduled from November 5 to 9 and November 13 to 17.
Zimbabwe’s ODI Squad: Sikandar Raza (Captain), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brendan Taylor, Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine, Ernest Masuku, Newman Nyamhuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Vincent Masaketsa, Wellington Masakadza, and Wesley Madhevere.
Zimbabwe’s T20 Squad: Sikandar Raza (Captain), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Kundai Matigimu, Newman Nyamuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Vincent Masaketsa, Wellington Masakadza, and Wesley Madhevere.
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