With Richard Ngarava recovering from a back injury, Sikandar Raza will continue captaining Zimbabwe in one-day cricket as they embark on a long tour to the UAE. First up is an ODI tri-series against Afghanistan and Bangladesh starting on October 17 and then Zimbabwe play three T20Is and two Tests against Afghanistan in a separate bilateral series.
Both white-ball squads include two potential debutants: the 32-year old wicketkeeper batter Tafadzwa Tsiga and 29-year-old legspinner Vincent Masekesa. Zimbabwe have made room in their ODI set-up by dropping Graeme Cremer, who was involved in just one of the team’s three matches in their series against Australia last month. It was his first ODI in eight and a half years and now he’s out. Innocent Kaia, who retired hurt in the final game of that rubber with a thigh injury, is only expected to be fit for the T20I series against Afghanistan which starts on October 27.
Tsiga has three first-class centuries this year and has represented Zimbabwe in Test cricket. Masekesa also reserved his best work for the Logan Cup where he was the joint-highest wicket-taker for the Mountaineers with 25 at 29.92 apiece. He followed that performance with a nine-wicket haul against a Bangladesh emerging team in Sylhet. Zimbabwe appear to be hoping both men can translate their red-ball form into white-ball performances as well.
Raza, Craig Ervine and Brendan Taylor provide experience in the batting. Blessing Muzarabani leads the bowling attack with Brad Evans for support across all the white-ball games except the third T20I against Afghanistan. Evans has been replaced by Kundai Matigimu for just that fixture.
Sikandar Raza (capt), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brendan Taylor, Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine, Ernest Masuku, Newman Nyamhuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere
Sikandar Raza (capt), Ben Curran, Blessing Muzarabani, Brad Evans, Brian Bennett, Innocent Kaia, Kundai Matigimu, Newman Nyamhuri, Ryan Burl, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere
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