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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter

THE confidence in the tone of Chevrons skipper Craig Ervine could be enough to attest to the loads of work that has been put into Zimbabwe’s preparations for the cricket series against Bangladesh in the last few weeks.

The Chevrons, who are seeking fresh beginnings under new coach Dave Houghton, appeared a cheerful bunch as they went through their paces at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

Most of the work was done on the field and afterwards Houghton and team manager Dilip Chouhan had a discussion with the players before the coach returned to the centre wicket with two senior players Regis Chakabva and Ervine to polish up some fielding drills.

Zimbabwe are not leaving anything to chance as they are set to host Bangladesh for three T20I games and as many One Day Internationals at Harare Sports Club.

The series will open with back-to-back T20I fixtures, tomorrow and on Sunday, with the final match on Tuesday. The two sides will then lock horns in as many ODIs set for August 5, 7 and 10 at the same venue.

Ervine, who has captained Zimbabwe in 20 T20Is since his appointment in August last year, told The Herald yesterday that the team was in high spirits following their success in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier, which they won in Bulawayo two weeks ago to seal their place at this year’s ICC T20 World Cup finals set for Australia in October.

“Everybody is pretty confident, including myself,” he said.

“I think the whole team has had a very good one-week rest ahead of the short camp before the Bangladesh series. So everybody is full of energy.”

The Chevrons returned to training on Monday after they were given a one week off to be with their families and recharge their batteries.

The morale in the team was boosted by the good run they experienced in Bulawayo, albeit against weaker Associate Members, during the T20I Qualifier.

Before that, Zimbabwe had been on regression and had relapsed into a sad losing habit which they were struggling to come out of. But after winning five games on the bounce during the Qualifier, the Chevrons feel they could have rediscovered their lost confidence, again.

Ervine is keen to see the Chevrons extending their winning form to quality sides like Bangladesh, India and Australia, who they face in the coming weeks.

“I think the momentum is on our side, especially coming off the qualifiers and winning five in five. I know that Bangladesh are much tougher opponents but I feel the guys are in a good space at the moment and everyone is looking forward to getting back to play some cricket,” said Ervine.

“Just playing cricket, is always going to be beneficial. I think we have a lot of games coming up. But the conditions down in Bulawayo are a little bit different. Wickets down there are a little bit slower and turn a little bit whereas (at) Sports Club I think we have a little bit more pace.

“So, again it’s just assessing those conditions as quickly as possible and adapting. But I think the guys are playing such a good positive brand of cricket at the moment. If you were to ask the supporters in Bulawayo, I think it was exciting for them to watch.

“What I would like to see is a continuation of what we did in Bulawayo. Having to play a much better side like Bangladesh and beating them, I think it will give us real confidence going forward, to play India and Australia, if we can continue that same form that we had down in Bulawayo.”

Ervine is one of the most successful captains for Zimbabwe in the shortest version of the game, having led the side in 20 outings and wining 11 times.

He hopes the vibe created by the fans in Bulawayo during the Qualifier will be reproduced in Harare. The supporters were electric, especially in the final match in which Zimbabwe had to summon one of their best bowling acts to beat plucky Netherlands.

Zimbabwe Cricket have set the ticket prices at US$2 for the rest of the ground, US$3 for the Embankment side and US$5 for the Centurion. Pensioners and children in full school uniforms are set to get in for free.

All the supporters attending the games are required to present proof of Covid-19 vaccination. Ervine said the fans should come and fill up the Harare Sports Club.

“We always like to play in front of a crowd,” he said.

“We are always thankful for the support that we get from the fans that always come