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ToggleThe Zimbabwe Cricket Board (ZCB) has announced a 15-member squad for their upcoming one-off Test against Ireland, starting on July 25, at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast. The T20I side of the national team, under the captaincy of Sikandar Raza, has been involved in a five-match T20I series against India in Harare.
Zimbabwe’s lack of playing red-ball format is quite clear, as they last played in whites was back in February 2023, in Bulawayo against West Indies, and have not been part of the ICC’s World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for two seasons now.
That Test against the Caribbean side saw them being handed an innings and 4-run defeat, at the Queens Park Oval. Their batting didn’t turn up in the first innings, as they were bundled out for just 115, and Gudakesh Motie ended with 7/37 in 14.5 overs.
The bowling was a bit decent in the only innings they bowled, as Victor Nyauchi grabbed a five-wicket haul giving away 56 runs, to help them bundle out the opposition side for 292 runs. Their batting department again struggled in their second innings, except their captain Ervine, who stood up for his 72-run knock.
Zimbabwe denied Sikandar Raza in the Test team
Among the fresh faces for the squad, the likes of wicket-keeper batter Clive Madande, Brian Bennett, and Johnathan Campbell- all who have been part of the current T20I series will be part of the Test side. Madande has nailed 1047 first-class runs in 34 innings at an average of 34, with a couple of centuries and six half-centuries.
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Bennett too has been quite strong in the longest format of the game, for his 707 runs at an average of 44.18, with two centuries, while Jonathan, the son of Alastair Campbell has featured in 30 FC games, for his 1678 runs with four hundreds at an average of 32.90, has shown his skills too.
The only member who has yet to make his first appearance in this format is Joylord Gumbie. The side will be led by the decent-experienced member Craig Ervine, who has been part of 20 Test, for his 1332 runs with three centuries, while the middle-order batter Sean Williams has grabbed 1034 first-class runs in 14 games at an average of 41.36, with four hundreds. The return of Williams, who missed the WI Test due to injury, will offer so much to the Zimbabwe side in the game.
The likes of Tendai Chatara, and Blessing Muzarabani, who is especially in great touch with his T20I bowling in the ongoing India series, will be a key part of the game. Zimbabwe doesn’t have a lot of pedigree in this format, while their opponent Ireland has played only eight Tests, starting in May 2018, against Pakistan.
The only win for the Irish side in this format has come against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi at the start of this year, by six wickets. It was quite surprising to see the Zimbabwe team not opting for Raza in this format, who has 1187 Test runs in 17 games, at an average of around 36, with a century and eight fifties, along with his 34 scalps.
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The likes of Chamu Chibhabha, Innocent Kaia, Milton Shumba, Brad Evans, Donald Tiripano- all have been out from the side, at took part in that two-Test home series against West Indies, while Gary Ballance, shifting his base from England to Zimbabwe has made his last appearance for the side.
Zimbabwe squad for the one-off Test in Ireland
Craig Ervine (captain), Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga, Joylord Gumbie (wk), Roy Kaia, Clive Madande (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Prince Masvaure, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sean Williams