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Brandon Moyo

AS part of their preparation for next year’s International Cricket Council Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, Zimbabwe’s Under-19 men’s team is set to tour South Africa and India before they head to the global show-piece. 

The tour to South Africa comes after the completion of their domestic preparations which have been ongoing for a couple of weeks. They are set to depart for South Africa today and will play a three-match series. 

They will first play against the Dolphins Under-19 team before facing the Proteas Under-19s in two games. In India, it will be training camp and will play against various state sides. 

Stand-in coach, Keith Kulinga said it is important for the team to get a taste of international cricket before going into the global show-piece. The tour to South Africa will also help them acclimatise to South African conditions as they are hosting the World Cup. 

“We will play the Dolphins — Under-19s — and then two matches against South Africa Under-19s. I think it will be a good test for the boys to have some bit of a taste of some international under-19 opposition. 

“From there we are coming back on the 12th where we will then travel to India on the 13th for a training camp. We are going to be playing against state sides, good opposition, a different environment for the boys,” said Kulinga. 

He added that after their trip to India, they will go a bit earlier to South Africa where they will play a four-match series against Ireland before their first official warm up game for the World Cup. 

The Zimbabwe Under-19 team has been putting in the works as they prepare for the global show-piece. Earlier this year, the squad also toured India where they played against various clubs from the Asian nation. 

The World Cup will now be hosted by South Africa after the initial hosts, Sri Lanka were suspended from competing in ICC events after a unanimous decision by the sport’s governing body board, was taken as a consequence of the ICC recently provisionally suspending Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) due to extensive government interference in the board’s administration. 

The Under-19 Cricket World Cup is set to run from 13 January to 4 February 2024.