T20 World Cup 2022, Team Watch: Zimbabwe: Key Players, Fixtures, SWOT, Prediction

Powered
by
in-form
all-rounder
Sikandar
Raza,
Dave
Houghton’s
side
will
hope
to
make
a
big
impression
in
their
fifth
ICC
Men’s
T20
World
Cup
campaign.
Here’s
the
team
analysis.

2022
prospects

Zimbabwe
used
home
advantage
to
full
effect
to
seal
their
spot
in
Australia.
The
Chevrons
dominated
the
ICC
Men’s
T20
World
Cup
Global
Qualifier
B
in
Bulawayo,
winning
five
games
on
the
bounce
with
a
series
of
commanding
performances.

They
were
consistently
able
to
access
first-innings
totals
towards
200
and
when
the
batters
faltered,
the
bowling
unit
stepped
up.

That
was
keenly
felt
in
the
final
when
Zimbabwe
were
bowled
out
for
132
but
then
proceeded
to
skittle
the
Dutch
for
95
to
take
overall
victory
in
the
Qualifier.

Earlier
this
year
they
showed
promising
signs
in
a
3-0
T20I
series
defeat
to
Afghanistan
and
would
have
been
disappointed
to
be
edged
3-2
in
the
series
against
African
rivals
Namibia.

Houghton
is
bullish
on
his
side’s
prospects
of
navigating
the
First
Round,
where
they
face
a
tricky
draw
in
the
shape
of
two-time
winners
West
Indies,
Ireland
and
Scotland.

T20
World
Cup
history

Zimbabwe’s
first
act
at
the
ICC
Men’s
T20
World
Cup
in
2007
saw
them
pull
off
one
of
the
most
famous
upsets
in
the
event’s
history.

Prosper
Utseya’s
side
turned
over
a
star-studded
Australia,
crowned
ICC
Men’s
Cricket
World
Cup
champions
in
2003,
by
five
wickets
in
an
incredible
match
at
Newlands.

Elton
Chigumbura
did
the
damage
with
the
ball,
accounting
for
both
Adam
Gilchrist
and
Matthew
Hayden,
before
Brendan
Taylor’s
unbeaten
60
saw
them
to
victory.

Zimbabwe
won
two
games
for
the
first
time
in
India
in
2016,
seeing
off
Hong
Kong
and
Scotland,
albeit
defeat
to
Afghanistan
put
paid
to
their
Super
12
chances.

Best
batters

Raza
is
one
of
the
form
players
in
white-ball
international
cricket
this
year,
named
Player
of
the
Tournament
in
the
Qualifier.

Playing
in
the
middle
order,
the
36-year-old’s
strike
rate
in
the
shortest
form
of
the
game
has
risen
from
106.93
to
152.21
in
a
matter
of
months.

His
fine
form
in
the
ODI
format
saw
him
lead
Zimbabwe
to
a
home
series
win
over
Pakistan
in
August,
their
first
50-over
series
win
over
a
major
nation
in
five
years.

Raza
will
look
for
skipper
Craig
Ervine,
returning
from
a
hamstring
injury,
to
lay
a
platform
in
the
power
play
and
then
dominate
the
opposing
attack
in
the
middle
overs.

Best
bowlers

A
number
of
Zimbabwe’s
frontline
bowlers
have
shaken
off
injuries
to
make
the
15-strong
squad
for
Australia.

Tendai
Chatara
(collarbone),
Wellington
Masakadza
(shoulder
tendon)
and
Blessing
Muzarabani
(thigh)
are
all
back
in
the
fold
in
the
nick
of
time.

Whether
they
are
coming
in
undercooked
remains
to
be
seen,
but
the
seam
battery
may
need
some
help
from
spin-bowling
all-rounder
Ryan
Burl
and
Raza’s
handy
off-spin.

Fixture

With
Group
B
games
all
taking
place
at
Hobart’s
Bellerive
Oval,
Zimbabwe
begin
against
Ireland
on
17
October.

They
face
West
Indies
on
19
October
before
their
First
Round
ends
against
Scotland
on
21
October.