Hamilton Masakadza retained as Zimbabwe captain in all formats

Batting all-rounder Hamilton Masakadza has been retained as the all-format captain by Zimbabwe for the upcoming season. Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) arrived at the decision in its latest meeting where appointments to various posts were made with immediate effect. The 35-year-old has so far led Zimbabwe in three Tests (one win, two losses), 20 ODIs (no win, 19 losses, one inconclusive) and 11 T20Is (three wins, eight losses).

The top-order batsman averaged over 22 in 26 ODI innings in 2018 and scored 581 runs with two half-centuries. In the longer format, he scored 139 runs in four innings, averaging a much better 34-plus with one half-century. Masakadza has over 9,000 international runs with 10 hundreds and 57 wickets.

Zimbabwe drew Bangladesh in an away Test series in their latest assignment after winning the first game and the ZC decided to back the man who first took over in 2013. Batsman Peter Moor who had a decent outing in the series against Bangladesh was named the vice-captain. Dilip Chouhan was made the national team’s manager and he will now be in charge of Zimbabwe ‘A’ and Zimbabwe Under-19 teams as well besides the senior side.

Former Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya and first-class players Walter Chawaguta and Kenyon Ziehl have been appointed as substantive members of the Zimbabwe National Selection Panel. Chawaguta, 46, continues to be the convenor of selectors.

Zimbabwe to miss ICC World Cup 2019

Zimbabwe are currently ranked 10th in Tests, 11th in ODIs and 12th in T20Is in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) table. The African side, however, is not part of the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales beginning in May for it narrowly failed to finish among the top two in the qualifying round that was played on its soil last March. Afghanistan and the Windies went on to qualify while Zimbabwe failed to make it to a World Cup for the first time since 1983 when they made debut in the tournament and shocked Australia in their very first game.

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