Brandon Moyo
SIKANDAR Raza is leaving the Indian Premier League (IPL) to join the Chevrons for their upcoming five-match T20I series against Bangladesh early next month.
Raza, who is the team’s T20 captain will lead Zimbabwe in Bangladesh.
Zimbabwe Cricket announced a 15-member squad for the tour yesterday morning.
The team is scheduled to fly out on Saturday for the series which gets underway on May 3.
Captained by Raza, the team includes one uncapped player, Johnathan Campbell, who has been doing well in the domestic set-up
Batter Tadiwanashe Marumani and all-rounder Faraz Akram have been recalled.
The rest of the selected players were part of the squad for Zimbabwe’s last T20I series away to Sri Lanka in January.
They include the veterans Craig Ervine and Sean Williams, pacemen Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani as well as the young guns – Clive Madande and Brian Bennett.
Madande, Bennett and Campbell were part of the Zimbabwe emerging men’s team that won the gold medal at the 13th African Games in Ghana in March.
Stuart Matsikenyeri will be in charge of Zimbabwe against Bangladesh.
As part of their preparations for the series, the Chevrons held a training camp in Bulawayo where they were had intra-squad matches at Queens Sports Club.
Zimbabwe Tour of Bangladesh Fixtures
First T20I: May 3, Second T20I: May 5, Third T20I: May 7, Fourth T20I: May 10, Fifth T20I: May 12, (Final Two games will be played in Dhaka)
ZIMBABWE SQUAD
Raza Sikandar (captain), Akram Faraz, Bennett Brian, Burl Ryan, Campbell Johnathan, Ervine Craig, Gumbie Joylord, Jongwe Luke, Madande Clive, Marumani Tadiwanashe, Masakadza Wellington, Muzarabani Blessing, Ndlovu Ainsley, Ngarava Richard, Williams Sean.