Zimpapers Logo

Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
MATABELELAND Tuskers Cricket Franchise are hoping to sign a bigger squad as a precautionary measure for injuries that may arise during the compressed 2014-2015 domestic season.

Zimbabwe Cricket have released a hectic programme for the 2014-2015 season which starts on Sunday and will run for five months, ending in March.

Matabeleland Tuskers open their account with a home tie against Manicaland Mountaineers who merged with defunct Southern Rocks in a ZC cost-cutting measure at the end of last season.

The Bulawayo side which won the Logan Cup for three successive seasons from 2010-13 are geared up for the new season with their chief executive officer Stanley Staddon saying they are leaving no stone unturned.

“Because of the compressed programme we got to have lots of back up because the demands of the game might see some guys picking up injuries. We also have to bear in mind that there are some players that will be involved with the national team and we have to have cover for those as well. Because of the reasons that I have stated, we will give 13 players fulltime contracts with five getting earn-as-you-play deals,” said Staddon.

He said they are retaining most of their last season’s players, with ex-Southern Rocks trio of Richmund Mutumbami, Brian Vitori and Luke Jongwe joining them.

They have also set their sights on signing the national team duo of Craig Ervine and Tinashe Panyangara.

Matabeleland Tuskers’ bowling sensation John Nyumbu, skipper Sean Williams and Brian Chari are on a central contracts with ZC who cater for their salaries as well as Panyangara, Vitori and Mutumbami.

“We are done with negotiations with Vitori and Jongwe. We hope to conclude deals with Panyangara, Mutumbami and Ervine when they return from Bangladesh. With the squad that we are assembling, we are going to be one of the teams to beat in the league considering that we have maintained the core of our last season’s players and we have continuity,” Staddon said.

The 2014-15 season will see three rounds of the Pro-50 One-Day game, starting next Sunday, and three rounds of the premier first class tournament, the Logan Cup, which will begin two days later. The season will close with a Twenty20 tournament in March next year.

While the Pro50 will continue its tournament format this season, it will have an additional round of matches to provide further preparation and selection opportunities to the Zimbabwe squad for the 2015 International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The Zimbabwe Under-19 side will field a team for the 50-over competition as part of their preparations for the youth global cricket showcase, the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which will be in Bangladesh in 2016.

“Against the background of a busy international programme for Zimbabwe cricket, we will now have a busy domestic season providing many windows for fans around Zimbabwe to enjoy the local game in all formats,” read a ZC statement.