Zimbabwe name 15-member squad for ODI World Cup Qualifier

Zimbabwe have named a strong squad for the ODI World Cup Qualifier with the hope to qualify for the marquee event, which will be played in India later this year. Notably, all the big names are available for the tournament as skipper Craig Ervine will have a tough job in his hands.

Blessing Muzarabani will be leading the attack with Richard Ngarava and Wellington Masakadza complementing him in the middle. All-rounder Sikandar Raza, who has been in good form in the recent past, will have to take responsibility as hosts Zimbabwe aim to make a comeback in the ODI World Cup.

Meanwhile, the hosts are drafted in Group A and will be playing their first match against Nepal on June 18 and will later challenge the Netherlands (June 20) and West Indies (June 24) before ending their group-stage commitments against the United States of America on June 26. 

Notably, top three teams from each group will qualify for the super six and out of which, the two finalists will be progressing to the main competition. The finals of the qualifiers meanwhile will be played on July 9 in Harare.

Coming back to Zimbabwe, the team has the pefect blend of youth and experience. In the T20 World Cup 2022, they managed to qualify for the Super 12 and even though the team failed to reach the semi-final, they played some good cricket and defeated Pakistan in the competition.

When it comes to the 50-over format, they recently defeated the Netherlands in the three-match series and also beat Australia in the third ODI of the series in 2022. Thus, they are accustomed with the recipe of success but the pressure will be equally high on the team.

Zimbabwe squad: Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara, Craig Ervine, Bradley Evans, Joylord Gumbie, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams