Sikandar Raza To Captain Zimbabwe’s ODI And T20I Squads For UAE Tour
Sikandar Raza will captain Zimbabwe’s ODI and T20I teams on their upcoming tour of the United Arab Emirates.
The selections come as Zimbabwe prepare for a demanding schedule featuring an ODI tri-series against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, followed by T20 internationals and Test matches against Afghanistan.
Raza will continue leading the ODI side while Richard Ngarava recovers from a back injury.
Also Read: Sikandar Raza Becomes Zimbabwe’s Most-Capped Cricketer After Overtaking Masakadza Record
Tsiga And Masekesa Rewarded For Strong Form
Wicketkeeper-batter Tafadzwa Tsiga and leg-spinner Vincent Masekesa are set to debut in white-ball cricket.
Both potential debutants have made their cases through performances in the longer format.
Tsiga, 32, has scored three first-class centuries this year and has already represented Zimbabwe in Test cricket.
Masekesa, 29, took 25 wickets for the Mountaineers in the Logan Cup at an average of 29.92. He followed that with a nine-wicket haul against a Bangladesh Emerging team in Sylhet.
Their inclusion in both limited-overs squads gives them an opportunity to show that their red-ball performances can translate into the shorter formats.
Burl Returns As Cremer Misses Out
Ryan Burl has been recalled to the ODI squad after last playing the format in January 2024.
Graeme Cremer, meanwhile, has been omitted after featuring in just one of Zimbabwe’s three ODI matches against Australia last month. That appearance was his first in the format in eight and a half years.
Innocent Kaia is also unavailable for the ODI series after retiring hurt with a thigh injury in the final match against Australia. He is expected to be fit for the T20Is against Afghanistan, which begin on 27 October.
Zimbabwe’s UAE Schedule
Zimbabwe begin their campaign on 17 October in the ODI tri-series involving Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The team will then face Afghanistan in a separate bilateral series comprising three T20Is and two Tests.
Blessing Muzarabani will lead the bowling attack in the white-ball matches, with Brad Evans included for all those fixtures except the third T20I against Afghanistan. Kundai Matigimu has been selected in Evans’ place for that match.
Experienced batters Raza, Craig Ervine and Brendan Taylor will provide the core of the batting lineup.
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