Jump to content

Zimbabwe in New Zealand 2011-12 - All related news thread


Sir john

Recommended Posts

Mpofu ruled out of New Zealand tour
Chris Mpofu, the pace bowler, has been ruled out of Zimbabwe's tour of New Zealand with a lower back injury. He pulled out of the Stanbic Bank T20 series in November and has failed to recover in time for the trip which begins on January 17. Mpofu was initially named in Zimbabwe's 20-man training squad for a two-week camp in Harare ahead of the tour. "Unfortunately Chris's lower back pain has recurred on the eve of the start of the camp," said national team physiotherapist Amato Machikicho. "He had an MRI scan and an opinion from a specialist sports physician. As a result Chris will no longer be a part of the camp and will miss the tour." The national selectors have called up right-arm bowler Tendai Chatara of Mountaineers to replace Mpofu in the squad. Four other players also return including left-arm bowler Brian Vitori who missed the home series against New Zealand with a shin injury. Fellow bowler Shingi Masakadza is included having not played since the World Cup, legspinner Graeme Cremer has had a long absence with a serious knee injury but is now fit again and Stuart Matsikenyeri also makes a comeback. Batsman Vusi Sibanda has also been named after a stint playing grade cricket in Australia. Captain Brendan Taylor will not be at the training camp because he is currently playing for Wellington in the HRV T20. Head coach Alan Butcher is hoping his side can build on their performances against New Zealand in their recent home series. They lost the only Test match after losing the three-match ODI series 2-1. "I hope our performance in the last Test will give us the belief that we can beat New Zealand," said Butcher. "We will be underdogs, yes, but we will not be inferior to our opponents. "Not having Chris Mpofu is quite a blow - he has been consistent in the last couple of months," he added. "We have [brian] Vitori back and look to compete at a level footing so are not a depleted side at all." Squad Brendan Taylor, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirai Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Keegan Meth, Forster Mutizwa, Njabulo Ncube, Raymond Price, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller.
chatara nd mastikenyari there.:yay: hope they get selected for tour too.:pray:
Link to comment

Matsikenyeri back for New Zealand tour

Top-order batsman Stuart Matsikenyeri has made a comeback to the Zimbabwe squad for their upcoming tour of New Zealand. Vusi Sibanda missed out since he was ineligible for selection, after declining a domestic contract in favour of playing grade cricket in Australia. There were no other surprises in the 16-member side that will be led by Brendan Taylor. Matsikenyeri played the last of his 108 ODIs in March 2010 before being dropped from the side. He has had a good run of form for the Mashonaland Eagles in domestic cricket, which helped him force his way back into the national squad. "Stuart Matsikenyeri has earned a recall into the national squad as he has done very well in the domestic competitions and is one of the few batsmen who has been consistent," Givemore Makoni, convener of selectors, said. "He is an experienced and aggressive player." Zimbabwe Cricket's eligibility policy for selection provides for exceptions in the case of one-off tournaments abroad in which case a no-objection certificate is issued, such as the one given to Taylor for his foreign assignments. Sibanda, unlike Taylor, declined a ZC contract, which ruled him out of contention. Legspinner Graeme Cremer finds a place in the Test side, but will make way for Prosper Utseya ahead of the limited-overs leg of the tour. The series will comprise a one-off Test starting January 26, followed by three ODIs and two Twenty20s.
Zimbabwe squad Brendan Taylor (capt), Regis Chakabva, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer (Test only), Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirai Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Keegan Meth, Forster Mutizwa, Raymond Price, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Prosper Utseya (limited-overs only), Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller
:band:
Link to comment

Young dropped for Zimbabwe Test

New Zealand's selectors have dropped the wicketkeeper Reece Young from the side that defeated Australia in Hobart for the one-off Test to be played against Zimbabwe in Napier from January 26. Young was jettisoned after failing to make an impression with the bat in Australia, though his glove work was sound under pressure in the visitors' narrow win over Australia at Bellerive Oval. In his place are BJ Watling and Kruger van Wyk, both batsmen who can keep wicket, with the coach John Wright still to decide which will don the gloves against Zimbabwe. Jesse Ryder is the only other change from the Hobart XI, as he continues his recovery from a calf tear. "There's a lot of competition for the wicketkeeping spot in the country at the moment," Wright said. "It's tough on Reece, his keeping has been good and he knows that if he goes back to domestic cricket and scores runs he will remain in the frame. "BJ will get a chance to prove himself with the gloves in the three-day game and Kruger will open the batting. A decision on who will take the gloves in the Test will be made closer to the start of the match." A New Zealand XI was also named to play the Zimbabweans in a three-day warm-up match in Gisborne. Both Watling and Van Wyk have been included, alongside the experience of Ross Taylor, Daniel Vettori and Chris Martin. "The team for the warm-up match is mix of experienced Test players and bright prospects," the national selection manager Kim Littlejohn said. "The match will give some of our key players some valuable preparation ahead of the Test match in Napier as well as provide an opportunity for promising players to show what they can do at a different level." Test squad: Ross Taylor (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, Kruger van Wyk, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson
Link to comment

New Zealand can be beaten - Butcher

Zimbabwe have the courage and confidence to compete with and beat New Zealand in the one-off Test in Napier starting on January 26, according to their head coach Alan Butcher. Since making their return to Test cricket in August last year, Butcher said the team had grown significantly from a mental perspective and are ready for their first challenge away from home in the new era. Zimbabwe endured the worst period in their cricketing history during six years of self-imposed exile from the longest form of the game. Defeats, disunity and disappointment abounded before they were able to make a commitment to rebuilding in 2010. Zimbabwe were ready for Test cricket again in August 2011 and beat Bangladesh in their comeback match in Harare. They played three series, all one-off Tests, in as many months and lost to Pakistan and New Zealand. Their defeat to New Zealand was by a margin of only 34 runs. Had they had managed to score those runs, they would have achieved a record Zimbabwean run chase. Although they didn't, Butcher saluted the team's efforts in just their third Test back. "People didn't give us much of a chance so I was proud that we got that close," he told ESPNcricinfo on the eve of Zimbabwe's departure for New Zealand. "But I was also disappointed. We deserved to win it and to get that close and lose was disappointing." The match highlighted one of Zimbabwe's chief concerns on re-entering Test cricket: the inferiority complex that plagues so-called minnows, including Bangladesh. Throughout his tenure, Butcher has talked about developing Zimbabwe's sense of self-belief and self-assuredness and as they embark on their first overseas tour as a readmitted Test nation, he says they have made progress. The results against New Zealand, which also included a record ODI chase by Zimbabwe, have helped. "I hope that the confidence we showed in those two matches will continue," Butcher said. "In a lot of areas we showed that New Zealand can be beaten. What was really pleasing is that we did not have a bad day in the Test match, we played good cricket on all five days. And to win a one-dayer of that magnitude gave us a big boost. When we get into winning positions we have to be able to finish it off. The more times you get into a winning position, the more times you believe you can win." One of the chief protagonists in getting Zimbabwe into situations where victory is a possibility is their captain Brendan Taylor. He scored back to back centuries in the ODIs against New Zealand and a hundred in the second innings of the Test. Taylor was offered a contract with Wellington to play in the HRV Cup as reward for his talents. Butcher said Taylor's early experience of the New Zealand stint will help his leadership role and the team as a whole. "It's been good to have him there, getting some inside information and insights on the conditions and a few of the players," Butcher said. "And he has been fairly successful, which is a great feather in his cap." Taylor was among the top 10 leading run-scorers in the Twenty20 tournament. The tour will also give some of Zimbabwe's inexperienced Test players, particularly the bowlers, a taste of the big time. With senior seamer Chris Mpofu ruled out with a lower back injury, the third seamer's spot is vacant. "[Kyle] Jarvis and [brian] Vitori will be vital for us with the new ball but I would like to see one of Keegan Meth or Shingarai Masakadza do well in the third seamer's spot," Butcher said. "And both of them can hold a bat as well. "Graeme Cremer will also be interesting to watch. He may not get to play this time but it will be nice to see how an attacking spinner progresses." Cremer has not been part of Zimbabwe's comeback after a long recovery from a knee injury and may have to sit out for the experienced Ray Price if Zimbabwe opt for a safety-first approach. He is not in the ODI squad and will return to Zimbabwe, to be replaced by Prosper Utseya. From a batting perspective, Butcher said he would like to see "a couple of the fringe players" step up. "Guys like Forster Mutizwa and Regis Chakabva have good records in domestic cricket and it will be nice to see them do well. Then we will be well stocked." Butcher said he would have loved to have had opening batsman Vusi Sibanda as part of the touring party but respected the decision of the cricket committee to exclude him. Sibanda was declared ineligible for national selection after choosing to play grade cricket in Australia and declining a Zimbabwe Cricket contract at the start of the season. He has since returned to Zimbabwe and is currently on a pay-as-you-play arrangement with the Mid-West Rhinos, which could turn into a full-time contract that will qualify him for national selection again.
Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...