Zimbabwe T20 Tri-Series - 1st Round Previews

Zimbabwe T20 Tri – Series | 17 – 20 June | Harare, Zimbabwe | All Games 13:00

As preparation for the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September, a triangular series featuring South Africa and two of the most promising international teams that lack game time, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, has been organised. South Africa requested the tour as part of the aforementioned preparation, and after Bangladesh were rejected for an ODI series in South Africa by CSA, they were also included which would ease some of the monetary concerns, as it was touch-and-go whether this series would even be televised. Although these problems were resolved, the series still remains as unofficial, and will not be recognised as T20 internationals, due to the series falling outside of the Future Tours Programme. The teams vary from the norm, with many players rested and with games occurring almost every day; it will all be over within a week. In any case, I'll try find you some value in the first three fixtures.

The Teams
The series gives Zimbabwe a rare opportunity to hone their T20 skills ahead of the World Cup, and they have made it clear that they will be taking the Triangular tournament very seriously. Brendan Taylor will captain the side, and the usual suspects of Masakadza, Utseya, Chigumbura and Taibu are all included. There are also some new faces on the block, with Kevin Kasuza, Richard Muzhange and Tendai Chatara all getting opportunities to show what they are made of on the "international" stage. Vusi Sibanda is also recalled after a small spat with ZC regarding his availability when he chose to play club cricket in Australia instead of represent his country.

Ashraful dives head-first back into the
Bangladeshi camp.

The Bangladesh team makes a shuffle from the one we saw at the Asia Cup earlier in the year. Former captain and premier batsman Mohammed Ashraful has been recalled after good performances in the BPL, and former opener Siddique receives the same treatment after working hard in the domestic league. They replace Nazimuddin and Islam, who fail to regain their places after Bangladesh's successful Asia Cup. The Bangladeshis have also chosen to leave out Shahadat Hossein and Imrul Keyes, with Reza and Rahman called up as replacements. The gaping void comes in the form of Shakib Al Hasan, who has been deservedly rested after a more than demanding schedule over the past year or so.

And so we save the best for last. The Proteas have rested their top guys here, and for good reason of course. Usual T20 captain AB de Villiers, Kallis, Steyn and Morkel will all miss out on the Triangular series, resting their wary IPL bones ahead of the English tour. Faf Du Plessis has been included in the T20 set-up for the first time after an impressive showing in the IPL and Chris Morris gets his maiden call up to the national team. Ferhaan Berhardien and Dane Vilas will retain their places from the T20 team that faced India at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Johan Botha was due to captain the side, but a knee injury has prevented him from taking any part in the tournament and Hashim Amla will lead the side in his absence.

The Venue
All the matches for the tournament will be played at Harare Sports Club, in Zimbabwe's capital. Home of Zimbabwe's cricket board, it is a picturesque ground but one with a small capacity. With  the presidential palace on one side and the Royal Harare Gold Club on the other, it is right in the centre of the city. Usually a great track for batting, expect some good totals on show here. Fairly warm days and sunny conditions are expected for the entire tournament, so hopefully rain shouldn't have a part to play in this tournament.

The Fixtures

Hamilton treads his own path in the T20 game.
He practically makes it up as he goes along.

The first game of the tournament sees the hosts take on the travelling Bangladeshis on Sunday the 17th. The Zimbabweans have gone without an international win since October last year, in the final ODI of New Zealand's tour. When they travelled to the Black Caps, they lost every single game by some distance. However, the last time Bangladesh toured Zimbabwe, in August last year, they lost the ODI series 3-2, coming back in the final two fixtures to salvage some pride. Bangladesh were a team with better players on that tour, and the main players that exacted that Zimbabwe series win are still around. I'm going to go against the grain here and call Zim to start off the series with a win at home. Hamilton Masakadza was firing in New Zealand, so my money goes on him to top score in the Zimbabwean innings.

The Bangladeshis receive a days break before they face the South Africans. Even with a second-string team, the South Africans should win this comfortably. Without Shakib the Bangladesh team is without the world's number one ranked all-rounder in all forms of the game. He asked to be rested, and it was obvious he needed it. He has played in the last 70 ODI's, 15 Tests and 8 T20's since 2009, never mind his stint in the IPL and BPL. Without Shakib I expect Bangladesh to lack stability, and South Africa to crawl all over them. Also, the wickets in Zimbabwe are a stone's throw from the wickets in South Africa, so the Proteas will have the advantage there. Call them on the outright and I fancy FAF Du Plessis to come into his own at the top of the order with good IPL experience and form, jump on him as South Africa's top scorer.

The final game of the first round of fixtures (all team play each other twice) is between the hosts and the neighbours. Although Zimbabwe's T20 cricket is one of their strengths, even attracting greats such as Brain Lara to play in their domestic league, I don't see them as a match for the Proteas here. The Proteas are chock-full of young guns, that must be admitted, but these guys all performed well in the MiWay T20 and are all players looking to one day force their way into the national set-up. Watch out for the South Africans here, there could be quite a few of them looking to impress ahead of the World Cup. South Africa to win, Richard Levi to top score. Why? Just a hunch. 

Well my hunches have proved correct on more occasions than one, but cricket is as the cliché states, a funny game. I don't expect this tournament to be quite as straight-forward as it seems, though the South Africans do seem too strong for the minnows. The Bangladeshis, after the way they impressed in the Asia Cup, should have the jump on the Zimbabweans, but I have my doubts. But as is the way with sports betting and writing, it all remains to be seen.

Maverick White

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