By Dickson Bandera
Preparations for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 to be played from 18 June to 9 July are now at an advanced stage, with teams arriving in Zimbabwe.
The USA has already arrived and is camped in Bulawayo while the rest of the teams will arrive this Saturday and Sunday.
The Zimbabwe Cricket is carrying out final touches at all the venues, while a 15-men Zimbabwe team has been named and is camped in Kwekwe. Warm up matches have been lined up with Zimbabwe expected to take on Oman on Tuesday 13 June at Takashinga Sports Club in Highfield and Scotland on 15 June at Old Hararians Sports Club.
Zimbabwe will face the West Indies, the Netherlands, Nepal and the United States of America (USA) in Group A while Group B is made up of Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
The Chevrons are hoping to secure one of the two remaining places at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to be played in India later this year.
A star-studded 15 men team announced include captain Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Luke Jongwe, Tadiwanashe Marumani and with all-rounders Ryan Burl and Wessly Madhevere bolstering the team.
Wicketkeeper-batter Joylord Gumbie, who has been enjoying a purple patch in the run-up to the tournament, is the only uncapped player named in the team. Spinner Wellington Masakadza, wicketkeeper-batter Clive Madande and opening batter Innocent Kaia will also be looking to play influential roles in the campaign.
The hosts will play Nepal in the opening match of the tournament at Harare Sports Club on 18 June, before entertaining the Netherlands at the same venue two days later.
On 24 June, Zimbabwe and the West Indies will lock horns at Harare Sports Club in what should be the biggest Group A fixture.
Zimbabwe’s last group fixture will be against the USA at the same venue on 26 June.
The top three from each group will progress to the Super Six stage where each team will play three matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage.
All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage, apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.
The finalists will both progress to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier is the culmination of four years of hard-fought competition and brings together the bottom five teams from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, three automatic qualifiers from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League Two and two teams who gained entry from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff.
ZIMBABWE SQUAD FOR ICC MEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIER:
Burl Ryan, Chatara Tendai, Ervine Craig, Evans Bradley, Gumbie Joylord, Jongwe Luke, Kaia Innocent, Madande Clive, Madhevere Wessly, Marumani Tadiwanashe, Masakadza Wellington, Muzarabani Blessing, Ngarava Richard, Raza Sikandar, Williams Sean
