The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Zimbabwe looking ahead

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Wednesday, Apr 19, 2006

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Sport - Cricket

Zimbabwe looking ahead

BRIDGETOWN: Zimbabwe manager Andy Pycroft is confident the cricket team will put behind it the politics and infighting at home and play well in the West Indies.

Zimbabwe will meet West Indies in seven one-day internationals starting on April 29 in Antigua.

The tour originally included two Tests, but the Zimbabwe government withdrew the team from all Tests this year, replaced the national board, and retained controversial chairman Peter Chingoka, who has been investigated by police and auditors. Former captains Tatenda Taibu and Heath Streak quit the side and left for overseas after personal threats and disputes with the board.

"We're looking at cricket not politics, and trying to prepare this new side as quickly as we can," Pycroft said in an interview on Barbados radio on Monday.

"A lot of people have written Zimbabwe cricket off with the problems they've had, but there is still a lot of potential there."

Zimbabwe's 16-man squad is being led by Terry Duffin, who also captained the team in the drawn series with Kenya six weeks ago.

Pycroft, a former Zimbabwe batsman, said he was optimistic the team would return to Test cricket next year.

"We wouldn't be doing what we're doing unless we believe it was possible for us to return to Test cricket," he said.

While in the West Indies, Zimbabwe will have two matches in Antigua, two in Guyana, two in Trinidad, and one in St. Lucia. After the series, it will play a tri-series with Canada and Bermuda in Trinidad, although that was put into doubt by a report on cricinfo.com that eight of the Zimbabwe squad will instead head to England for club commitments.

``The mood's been very good,'' Pycroft said. ``It's a very young side. The average age is only something just over 20 years old,'' he said.

The squad: Terry Duffin (capt.), Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Charles Coventry, Keith Dabengwa, Ryan Higgins, Anthony Ireland, Blessing Mahwire, Keegan Meth, Tawanda Mupariwa, Edward Rainsford, Piet Rinke, Vusi Sibanda, Gregory Strydom, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya. — AP

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