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Darlington Majonga

Eddie Chikamhi, Harare Bureau
THINGS are shaping up for the Zimbabwe cricket team as they step up their preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 by unveiling a new shirt sponsorship deal estimated to be over $100 000 in Harare today.

Details were still sketchy yesterday but it is believed cement manufacturing company PPC Zimbabwe will be coming on board as the new shirt sponsor.

PPC cement, who are one of the growing entities in the country, are not new to sport as they have been powering the Matopos 33-Miler Ultra-Marathon and the PPC Msasa Marathon.

ZC spokesperson Darlington Majonga confirmed the development.

Majonga also said Sport, Arts and Recreation Minister Kazembe Kazembe will attend the event and thereafter tour the facilities at Harare Sports Club to ascertain Zimbabwe’s readiness to host the big event which runs from March 4 – March 25.

The countdown has already begun with the first match expected to get underway in the next nine days.

ZC’s head of cricket affairs Givemore Makoni said a number of corporates have signed up for the Zimbabwe Cricket World Cup Qualifier Chairman’s Invitation Golf Tournament which is set to boost awareness and the fund-raising activities.

The golf tournament will tee off this morning at Borrowdale Brook Golf Club.

“It’s all about creating awareness and fund-raising a bit. We are glad we have got support from the corporate world with FBC coming in as the anchor sponsor while the likes of Steel Africa, Metbank and Ecobank have also signed up as the key sponsors.

‘’We also have other corporates like Clarion Insurance, Meikles, KPMG and Sports Guru,” said Makoni.

By this time next week, a total of 10 nations will have descended on Zimbabwe to take part in the competition for the two slots available for next year’s World Cup to be hosted by England and Wales.

Zimbabwe are in Group B together with Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Nepal and Scotland. Group A has the West Indies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and United Arab Emirates.

The teams that reach the final after three weeks of intense cricket will grab the tickets to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

The Chevrons captain Graeme Cremer is upbeat about Zimbabwe’s chances despite the recent slump in form which saw the team losing both formats to Afghanistan during a recent to United Arab Emirates.

Cremer said it was a special occasion for Zimbabwe to host a tournament of such magnitude.

“It’s very special for us to have such a big tournament in our home country. It’s very special for us to be able to host it and to be able to play in front of our home fans.

“We obviously want to qualify, as well as the other nine teams too so it will be tough. You know, the associate teams have come a long way in the last couple of years. That will be a tough tournament but hopefully being in our home conditions we can play well and qualify.

“We are very confident with the home crowd behind us and the conditions, we know the conditions very well and we know most of our guys play well at home. So we are very confident of our chances and hopefully we will do well.

“If we manage to qualify it will be very special for me personally, to be able to captain the side and take us through to the World Cup it will be a tough tournament. Ten teams trying to get through but I think in our home conditions we stand a very good chance,” said Cremer.