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Stephen Mangongo

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE cricket youth team are bubbling with confidence as they leave today for the 12th edition of the ICC Under-19 World Cup to be held in New Zealand.

The 15-member squad led by coach Stephen Mangongo believes they have left no stone unturned after they rounded off their preparations with an intensive training camp in Kwekwe last week. As they embark on a 36-hour journey to Auckland via Dubai, late this afternoon, Mangongo believes they are perfectly positioned to leave a lasting impression at the tournament which runs from January 13 to February 3, 2018.

Mangongo said the youth team has had enough time to prepare for their Group B opponents India, Australia and Papua New Guinea after spending close to 20 months focusing on the tournament.

“I think we have had a very long and structured programme. The boys worked very hard throughout the last 20 months in which we also had international tours to Malaysia, Namibia, Cape Town, Benoni, Australia and India as well. And only last week we played a top franchise so that we get used to the pressure and intensity of the game. We needed that exposure and I am sure the boys now are ready to rumble.

“We have left no stone unturned in our preparations so much that we would be very happy if the World Cup is to be played tomorrow,” said Mangongo. All-rounder Liam Roche will be the captain with Milton Shumba as his deputy. Mangongo said he was happy to have a clean bill of health after Kieran Robinson recovered from a thumb fracture in time for the trip.

The Zimbabweans will have almost a month to acclimatize with the conditions in New Zealand where they will finalise their preparations through the festive season. Mangongo said he was grateful for the support from Zimbabwe Cricket in the run up to this tournament. ZC have invested considerable resources in the age-group team, which has always produced top notch players for the country in the past.

The Zimbabwe Under-19 side has also played lots of cricket at home where they hosted Namibia, Kenya and the West Indies as part of their preparations. They finished 10th at the previous World Cup in Bangladesh last year and they believe it was a marked improvement from the 15th position in the 2014 edition held in the United Arab Emirates.

“The bar has been set already. The last group that we took to Bangladesh did well and set some standards which these boys are keen to surpass. They believe they can go further. We are ready to showcase our best players and I am sure we are going to shock some people. The bottom line is we have to perform better than we did the last time,” said Mangongo.

The Zimbabwe squad features some of the best locally based talents blended with some players who have experience of playing in the South Africa schools system like Alistair Frost, Tinashe Nenhunzi and Taun Harrison who is on Scholarship in the Western Cape.

Mangongo also called up promising England-based Donald Mlambo. The Academy product has played for Suffolk at all age groups since the age of 11 and is a member of the 2017 Suffolk Development squad. Meanwhile Zimbabwe have named the uncapped pair of fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani and batsman Ryan Burl in their 15-man squad for the historic four-day Test match against South Africa set to start on Boxing Day in Port Elizabeth.

The duo, together with paceman Tendai Chatara, are the only new faces to the side that faced West Indies in a two-match Test series in Bulawayo in October-November, while Sean Williams, Malcolm Waller, Michael Chinouya and Nyasha Mayavo will be staying home.

Captained by Graeme Cremer, Zimbabwe will arrive in South Africa this Saturday and first face the Cricket South Africa Invitation XI in a three-day practice match, a day-night affair, scheduled for December 20-22 at Boland Park in Paarl. The four-day Test, a day-night match, will be played at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, starting on December 26.

Squads:
Zimbabwe Senior:
Graeme Cremer (Captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Ervine, Brendan Taylor, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Regis Chakabva (Wicketkeeper), Sikandar Raza Butt, Ryan Burl, Tendai Chatara, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chisoro, Peter Moor, Solomon Mire, Kyle Jarvis, Christopher Mpofu.

Under-19 Squad:

Gregory Dollar (Wkt), Donald Mlambo, Liam Roche (captain), Tanunurwa Makoni, Jayden Schadendorf, Milton Shumba (vice-captain), Alistair Frost, Nkosilathi Nungu, Jonathan Conolly, Dion Myers, Wesley Madhevere, Kieran Robinson, Robert Chimhinya, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Taun Harrison.

Non-travelling reserves: Marshall Takodza, Dane Schadendorf, Tawanda Muyeye, Struan Moore-Gordon, Dion Mazhawidza