Tigers team may be given tomorrow
The Zimbabwe cricket team, led by Elton Chigumbura, will arrive in Dhaka today to take part in a five-match one-day series against the hosts who are buoyant after their recent 4-0 drubbing of New Zealand.
The Zimbabweans will play a limited-overs warm-up match against a BCB XI at BKSP on November 29 before playing the first one-day international at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on December 1.
The second (December 3) and third one-dayers (December 6), which will be day-nighters, will also be held at Mirpur and after that the teams will travel to Chittagong to play the remaining two games scheduled for December 10 and 12 at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
Experienced batsman Grant Flower, who made a surprising return to international cricket during the recent ODI series in South Africa, will also accompany the team not as a player but as the batting coach for the series.
Zimbabwe have included uncapped Ryan Butterworth after his impressive performances in the recent domestic T20 series while spinner Ray Price returns after missing the tour of South Africa for personal reasons.
Sean Williams missed out on the tour after sustaining a hamstring injury during the T20 series but Zimbabwe have recalled medium-pacer Keegan Meth, who has not played for the national side since 2006.
Meanwhile, the three-member Bangladesh selection panel led by Rafiqul Alam will submit its choice to the board today, but the team is likely to be announced tomorrow. There is a chance of two changes from the squad that played against the Black Caps.
Dashing opener Tamim Iqbal is all set to return to international cricket after missing the recently concluded home series against the Kiwis due to surgery on his left wrist.
And the left-hander’s return gave the selectors a pleasant headache as another southpaw opener Shahriar Nafees also had an impressive return to international cricket during the New Zealand series after being recalled in absence of Tamim. Mohammad Ashraful and Rokibul Hasan also got back their forms playing in the National Cricket League one-day competition, but Junaed Siddiqui has been struggling with his form to jeopardise
his place.
Pace spearhead Mashrafe Bin Mortaza is also fit to play the series, which is the last international engagement for the Tigers before next year’s World Cup, and the chief selector informed that there was no injury problem in the squad right at the moment.
“As per physio’s report everybody is fit. Tamim has a minor pain in his chest but there is nothing serious,” said Rafiqul.
ZIMBABWE SQUAD
Elton Chigumbura (captain), Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingi Masakadza, Regis Chakabva, Chamu Chibhabha, Raymond Price, Ryan Butterworth, Craig Ervine, Prosper Utseya, Graeme Cremer, Keith Dabengwa, Chris Mpofu, Keegan Meth.
