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Mehluli Sibanda, Sports Editor 

ZIMBABWE captain, Craig Ervine has recovered from injury to lead the team at next month’s International Cricket Council Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia. 

Ervine, sidelined by hamstring niggles since early August, is now fit and returns to captain the side. Zimbabwe also received a timely boost with pace bowler Tendai Chatara, left arm spinner Wellington Masakadza and left handed batsman Milton Shumba recovering from collarbone fracture, shoulder tendon and quadricep injuries respectively to make into the final squad. Fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani, who was part of the side that recently toured Australia for a one-day international series but did not play a single game, is now fit enough to spearhead the team’s bowling attack again. Experienced players Regis Chakabva, Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams make up coach Dave Houghton’s squad which also has Bradley Evans, Tony Munyonga and Clive Madande. Tadiwanashe Marumani, Innocent Kaia, Kevin Kasuza, Victor Nyauchi and Tanaka Chivanga have been named as the non-travelling reserves for the trip Down Under.  Marumani has been in brilliant form for the Great Zimbabwe Patriots in Zimbabwe Cricket’s domestic T10 competition but the selectors have opted for Madande as the backup wicket-keeper for Chakabva. 

Zimba-bwe’s campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 starts on 17 October, when they face Ireland in the first of three Group B fixtures that will be played at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, Tasmania. Next, they will take on the West Indies on 19 October and then complete their first-round action against Scotland on 21 October. The top two teams from Group B will join the Super 12 stage, along with the top two teams from Group A which features Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Namibia. 

The top two teams from each of the two Super 12 groups will advance to the semi-finals. Before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 proper gets underway, Zimbabwe will face Sri Lanka and Namibia in warm-up matches scheduled for 10 and 13 October in Melbourne.

Zimbabwe squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022

Zimbabwe qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after winning the global qualifier B held in the South African country in July and will be looking to make a huge impression at the tournament they missed last year due to the country’s suspension by the ICC in 2019 which saw them being kicked out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier held in the United Arab Emirates. 

Zimbabwe squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022: 

Craig Ervine (captain), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams 

Non-travelling reserves: Tanaka Chivanga, Innocent Kaia, Kevin Kasuza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Victor Nyauchi.

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