The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
AFTER a two-year long absence from the scene, Zimbabwe’s premier domestic Twenty20 competition returns.
While it will certainly lack the overall gloss and appeal of the once fashionable Stanbic T20 competition, the stakes and anticipation have never been this high.
The game once brought big hitters like Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, Shaun Tait and Allan Donald to Zimbabwe.
The competition is slated for February 9-13 in Bulawayo and will be the last chance for all T20 World Cup aspirants to stand up and be noticed as the Chevrons technical team intend to use this competition to assess and select the players that are expected to travel to India next month.
Newly appointed captain, Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda appear to have rediscovered their touch and are fresh from giving an inspiring audition for the opening slots during last month’s tour to Bangladesh.
Malcolm Waller appears to have finally found his calling as a Twenty20 specialist.
Tendai Chatara and Tinashe Panyangara appear to have finally recovered from their injuries and will be joined by a large group of young players eager to rival some of their more seasoned and experienced seniors for a spot on the team.
One name that seems to make local pundits salivate is Cephas Zhuwao. Zhuwao is naturally gifted and lives for oppositions like Hong Kong, Scotland and Afghanistan; all of whom Zimbabwe will face during the qualifiers.
A nine-year veteran of first-class cricket, Zhuwao has not had the best of careers both domestically and internationally; emerging through the unorthodox route of net bowling, only to receive a negated trial in Chevron colours.
His international statistics currently stand at five caps in Chevrons colours, back in 2008, and a paltry 24 runs.
Zhuwao has played just the one ODI, against Ireland also in 2008, and scored an even less impressive 16 runs.
Fortunately, his travels to England, where he has spent some time in the country’s club circuit with Budleighsatton and Eversley, and a lot of effort in the nets now appear to have polished this rough gem.
“I don’t want my short time in the Chevrons team to be all that I am remembered for,” said Zhuwao.
“I have put in the work and now want to have another crack at international cricket,’ he said.
Results for his time in England have already begun to show. During the current 2015/2016 season, Zhuwao has already emerged as one of the top performers, both at Mashonaland Eagles and in the domestic league. Together with a resurgent Regis Chakabva, the two were at the heart of Mashonaland Eagles’ Pro50 Championship winning campaign.
The two finished second and third on the top run scores’ charts, with Chakabva making 245, five runs shy of first placed Prince Masvaure of Midwest Rhinos, while Zhuwao made 214 runs with a best of an unbeaten 77. His current form has seen a sudden surge in confidence from the Mash Eagles top-order batsman.
“What you need to understand is that i am not an all-rounder or batter, as some like to refer to themselves.
“What l am is a big hitter, who can bowl.
“I believe that my time in England has really gone a long way in improving my game and l have finally reached a stage where I am ready for another crack at the national team.
“This Twenty20 competition is one I am looking forward to. If I manage to get selected, I will not waste it. The team, both Mashonaland Eagles and Chevrons, have been struggling to get the runs and I believe l can do the job,” he said.
Cephas Zhuwao was born on December 15, 1984 and the Mashonaland Eagles top order batsman’s journey has been one of struggle but as they say, “struggle only makes us stronger”.
Forced to fight his way into the national squad through an unusual route, Zhuwao grew up in Harare’s high-density suburb of Glen View and began his cricket career there. He established a reputation in local cricket, which earned him a call up as a net bowler before being noticed by Mashonaland and Northerns’ outfit back in 2008.
In Mash Eagles colours, he did enough to be included in the Zimbabwe A team for matches against the national team in 2007, and won a place on the tour to Canada and Kenya on the back of his performances against Pakistan Academy in 2008.
After a nightmarish stint with national colours, Zhuwao secured a winter cricket contract with Lashings and Budleighsatton where his highest achievement was an unbeaten 156 runs in a T20 match that is best remembered for the 31-year-old hitting nine sixes in a row.
Whatmore’s plea
Brighton Zhawi
Zimbabwe Cricket coach, Dav Whatmore is expecting a ‘high class’ competition when the country’s four domestic teams clash in a T20 tournament in Bulawayo this week.
The T20 tournament, the first in two seasons, acts as a prelude to the ICC World T20 qualifiers where the Chevrons will play Hong Kong, Afghanistan and Scotland for a place in the main tournament in India.
“It is a national T20 competition and I expect a high class standard of competition,” he said.
“I am happy that the guys will get into some T20 groove ahead of the World T20 qualifiers,” said Whatmore.
The Chevrons will begin their campaign against Hong Kong on March 8.
ZC Director for Development and Domestic Cricket, Givemore Makoni was quoted last week saying playing the competition in Bulawayo was a strategic move.
“We have moved it to Bulawayo. The reason is that the conditions in Bulawayo are quite close to those of India where they are going to play the T20 World Cup,” said Makoni.
The T20 competition is expected to begin on Tuesday and run until Saturday at Queens Sports Club.
Mountaineers are the T20 competition defending champions after claiming the title during the 2012/13 season.
There will face stiff competition from Mash Eagles who were unbeaten in claiming this season’s Pro50 domestic competition, while Tuskers will likely use their home advantage to full use.
Mid West Rhinos, who will also fancy their chances after a much improved season so far enter as the dark horses of the campaign.
Zimbabwe Cricket’s Communications manager, Lovemore Banda said the team’s departure date for the qualifiers, taking place in India from March 8, is yet to be confirmed.
Banda said the reason for the delay in confirming the departure day is the ongoing talks with their West Indian counterparts for a T20 series in UAE prior the qualifiers.
“The date is yet to be confirmed because there is a chance we might play the West Indies in the UAE at the end of the month.
“So if that series is confirmed, the team will leave earlier and then go straight to India from the UAE, but if the opposite happens then a date will be confirmed,” Banda said.
Zimbabwe needs to finish top of their group to progress to the main phase of the tournament.
