Young batter Tadiwanashe Marumani, pacer Tanaka Chivanga and spinner Tapiwa Mufudza are the three uncapped players included in Zimbabwe’s 15-man squad for their upcoming three-match home T20I series against Pakistan.
The three cricketers seem to have impressed the Zimbabwe national selectors following performances at the domestic level, especially Maruman, the 19-year-old, who struck four fifties from his five outings in the recent domestic T20 competition.
Six changes have been made to Zimbabwe’s T20I squad following their 3-0 series hammering in UAE against Afghanistan last month.
Richmond Mutumbami, Milton Shumba, Brandon Mavuta, Tarisai Musakanda and Faraz Akram have been dropped from the UAE touring party. Only Musakanda is around in some capacity, as he has been named one of the three standby players alongside Ainsley Ndlovu and Bradley Evans.
The squad for the Pakistan series also sees the returns of Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine and Luke Jongwe. Taylor and Ervine both opted out of the Afghanistan series, where Zimbabwe also played a two-match Test series due to health issues. Jongwe, on the other hand, is making a comeback after four years, having last represented Zimbabwe back in January 2016.
Experienced all-rounder Sikandar Raza, however, wasn’t considered for selection as he underwent surgery for an upper-arm injury recently.
All three T20Is will be played at the Harare Sports Club ground in Zimbabwe’s capital city on April 21st, 23rd and 25th, respectively. The hosts will also take on their Asian visitors in a two-match Test series, featuring matches in Harare only from April 29 to May 3 and May 7 to May 11. All the fixtures will be playing behind closed doors.
The series against Pakistan helps bridge the massive gap in Zimbabwe’s cricketing calendar after the nation was among the worst suffered due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic last year.
Zimbabwe had their scheduled series against India, Ireland, Australia, and the Netherlands postponed indefinitely due to the multiple challenges posed by the dangerous outbreak.
Full Zimbabwe squad for Pakistan T20Is:
Williams Sean (c), Burl Ryan, Chakabva Regis, Chivanga Tanaka, Ervine Craig, Jongwe Luke, Kamunhukamwe Tinashe, Madhevere Wessly, Marumani Tadiwanashe, Masakadza Wellington, Mufudza Tapiwa, Muzarabani Blessing, Ngarava Richard, Taylor Brendan, Tiripano Donald
