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Brandon Moyo,  Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE will co-host the 2027 ODI cricket World Cup with South

Africa, this should make the nation smile, but that smile is wiped offff the faces of many when it dawns on them that most of the current Chevrons’ senior players will have downed their bats by the time the global premier cricket tournament comes to the land sandwiched by the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers.

With most of the team’s match winners either in their mid or late 30s, Zimbabwe will need a new crop of heroes to stand a chance of making it at least to the knockout stages on home soil in 2027.

A wide pool of players and a strong junior policy is key to any team’s success. Having the headache of choosing from the best of many is what Zimbabwe needs more than anything else. As it stands, the current Chevrons are short of match winners.

Regis Chakabva is 35 years old, Sikandar Raza is 36 years old, the same age as Sean Williams and captain Craig Ervine is a year older. By the time Zimbabwe hosts the global showpiece, none of them will be around.

Having had the chance to share the field with the mentioned veterans, young players like Wesley Madhevere, Milton Shumba, Ryan Burl, Bradley Evans, Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani have big boots to fill.

However, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Managing Director Givemore Makoni believes that the team will not be short of winners.

“There is a clear succession plan in place, as you can see that the team is a fusion of the senior guys and young players and that will be key in the future and therefore, we will not be found wanting,” said Makoni.

Regis Chakabva

With an Under-19 World Cup coming up in 2024, Makoni believes this provides the right opportunity to groom youngsters to take over from the soon-to-retire senior players.

The  country’s domestic league will also play a role in contributing to the growth and development of the sport in the next coming years. Players doing well domestically will gradually make their way up to don the national jersey, giving Zimbabwe a wide pool to find their new heroes.

For now, the goal for the Chevrons is to book their spot in next year’s World Cup in India which will only happen via qualifiers having missed out on automatic qualification. The 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifiers will be hosted in Zimbabwe from June 18 to July 19 next year.