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Eddie Chikamhi

Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE international cricketer Sean Williams is expected to return back to the national team fold when the Chevrons host Afghanistan in Harare in the coming two weeks.

Williams, who lost his father Collin last month, had been granted compassionate leave by Zimbabwe Cricket. The 35-year-old all-rounder last featured when Zimbabwe toured Sri Lanka, where he scored his fifth ODI century, in January this year.

He missed action earlier this month when ZC prepared two select sides to play South Africa XI and Nepal before embarking on a T20I series against Namibia.

Zimbabwe Convener of Selectors, David Mutendera, said they are set to get a boost ahead of the limited-overs series at home to Afghanistan.

The Chevrons are set to play three one-day international matches and as many T20I games against Afghanistan starting next Saturday at Harare Sports Club.

The ODI series is part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, a 13-team competition which also serves as the main route for qualification for the 2023 edition of the 50-over ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to be staged in India.

Mutendera told the association’s website that at least five regular players, including the country’s leading bowler Blessing Muzarabani, are expected back in contention for places ahead of Afghanistan’s arrival. Muzarabani has been away at the Indian Premier League since March.

Seven of Zimbabwe’s established players missed, due to injury or other reasons, part of or the entire five-match T20I series against Namibia that ended on Tuesday at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe suffered a 3-2 home humiliation, to become the first Full Member to lose a series to the rising Namibians.

Captain Craig Ervine was forced to sit out the decisive fifth game and Ryan Burl the last two after the two tested positive for Covid-19. Both have since returned negative results and are ready to play again.

Milton Shumba, who played the first two T20Is against Namibia before he was sidelined by a right quadriceps strain, is also expected to be passed fit for the Afghanistan challenge.

However, Richard Ngarava and Wellington Masakadza are yet to fully recover from the lower back and right shoulder injuries that ruled them out of the Namibia series.

“We have been depleted, with Muzarabani at the IPL and Williams unavailable for personal reasons, while one of our best seamers as well as one of our best spinners are recuperating from injuries,” said Mutendera.

“We, however, back the squad that we are going to pick to deliver.

 “We are looking at a few considerations before announcing the squad and, with Muzarabani and Williams expected to be available while Ervine, Burl and Shumba are now fit again, the guys should be able to do the job,” he added.

Zimbabwe will first face Afghanistan in the three ODI matches scheduled for June 4, 6 and 9 at Harare Sports Club.

The two nations will then shift to three T20I matches scheduled for June 11, 12 and 14 June, also at Harare Sports Club.

The T20Is will serve as part of Zimbabwe’s final preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B 2022, which is one of two global tournaments that form the final stage of the qualification process for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 to be staged in Australia.

 Zimbabwe will host the eight-team qualifying tournament in July.