I recently discovered some fantastic wildlife and other African themed paintings from Zimbabwean artist Belinda Marshall and thought her talent was well worth Sharing:

A born and bread Zimbabwean, Belinda Marshall still lives in Zimbabwe’s second biggest city of Bulawayo where she works full-time in her studio at home.

A self taught wildlife artist, Belinda actually originally trained in Textile Design, but later decided to give wildlife art a go and discovered that she had a real talent for it. She paints mainly in oils on leather and canvas with her work primarily done on a commission basis.

Belinda has had several local exhibitions as well as taking part in an exhibition in London, UK. She now sells her paintings all over the world with commissions coming from South Africa, the UK, Australia, Spain, Croatia, Germany and even Russia.

Not only African Wildlife Paintings
Belinda has now also started portraiture work having done some magnificent portraits of Masai Warriors from Kenya and the Himba from Namibia adorned with all their jewellry and hunting regalia.

You can take a look at her website for more examples, information and a selection of artwork that she currently has for sale. Or if you would like to commission her to do a painting of something specific for you, you can contact her and she will get back to you regarding your request.

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It has been confirmed by The Sharks Super 15 Rugby franchise that their Zimbabwean born Springbok prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira is currently in hospital for a heart condition.

Initially the Sharks issued a press release stating that Mtawarira was in the fourth week of his rehab after injuring his ankle last month, but it has now been revealed that the prop is actually in a Cape Town hospital having heart treatment.

“Yes, I am in hospital here in Cape Town. But I can’t speak right now because I want to maintain a low profile,” the Springbok loosehead prop told Sport24 in an interview.

The twenty-six-year-old Zimbabwean born prop was admitted to the heart unit of a private hospital in Cape Town because he is suffering from heart palpitations.

Sharks team doctor Ewoudt van der Linde says that the private hospital in the Cape is the best in the country to treat Mtawarira’s condition

“It’s not the first time it’s happening to him. Beast has been struggling with the condition for quite some time and because he is recovering from his ankle injury, we thought it would be the opportune time to send him to Cape Town for treatment,” said Van der Linde.

“They have a new procedure where the heart is treated with lasers. Hopefully it will solve his problem,” Van der Linde explained.

Van de Linder said that there was nothing to be concerned about because the heart condition is not threatening to end Mtawarira’s rugby career prematurely.

“There is a family history and the condition is hereditary. But it is not so serious. It’s nothing new and has happened many times in matches before. ”

“Beast is used to it already. This is not the first and also not the last time it will happen. It especially happens with a lot of married men,” he quipped.

Zimbabwe Rugby Books

Related Posts

• Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira struggles with citizenship
• Zimbabwean Springboks
• Wallabie's Zimbo David Pocock helps fight poverty in Zimbabwe
• 7s Rugby in Zimbabwe
• Former Zimbabwe cricketer Gus Mackay now chief executive of Harlequins

One of Australia’s star players and current captain of the Super Rugby franchise Western Force is flanker David Pocock, who grew up in Zimbabwe and still retains close links to his homeland as he helps the fight against poverty and AIDS.

David Pocock grew up in Gweru and apart from rugby he has a passion for nature and enjoys getting out of the city back to his country and farming roots. He started off his rugby career in Gweru and it has been noted that some of the mothers of his opponents did not want their sons to front up against him even at this early age. He would insist on playing in the yard with his brothers (Mike and Steve) and his Dad (Andy) – trying to coax Andy into passing and kicking to him for hours on end.

The Pococks moved to Australia in 2002 after his family were evicted from their farm:
“Our land was acquired by the government,” said Pocock, who arrived in Brisbane at the age of 14, with his family, 10 or 12 suitcases and “not much else”.

“There were a couple of farmers in the area that were killed and I guess there was a lot of lawlessness, violence and intimidation. The vast majority was directed toward farm workers but there were a few white farmers targeted.”

“Once we moved off the farm we lived in town for about a year but really farming was our livelihood and mum and dad didn’t really want to do anything else, so we decided to leave.

His father worked odd jobs to get the family back on their feet in Brisbane and Pocock was awarded a sports scholarship to Anglican Church Grammar, a renowned breeding ground for elite rugby players, where he played in the school’s first 15 with Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper.

Dave Pocock then played for the Australian Schoolboys rugby side in his final year of school in 2005. It was only then that he was tested as an openside flanker, having previously played in the backline all through his high school years (playing flyhalf, fullback, on the wing and at inside centre).

In 2005, during his final year at Churchie, Dave was approached by the new Super Rugby franchise – the Western Force – to join their outfit as an apprentice.

Towards the end of 2008 Dave made his Wallabies debut in Hong Kong against the All Blacks, and then played against Italy and the Barbarians on the Wallabies spring tour that same year. His Wallabies call up came six years, to the day, after his family arrived in Australia having farewelled their farm in Zimbabwe following years of political and civil unrest in the African nation. That same year he also captained the Australian Under 20s at the Junior World Championships in Wales, and was then awarded the Emirates Western Force captaincy for the development tour of England.

In 2010 David was recognised as a world-class open side flanker, winning the John Eales Medal – the highest honour in Australian Rugby. Dave’s hard work and aptitude was recognized at an international level after being nominated alongside five other players for 2010 IRB Player of the Year which is an award given to the best player in world rugby. In addition he was recognised with the Australia’s Choice Wallaby of the Year and awarded the Rugby Union Players Association (RUPA) Medal of Excellence.

Charity Work: EightyTwenty Vision

The now 23-year-old Wallabie Flanker still keeps close ties to Zimbabwe, where he is committed to helping those with less opportunities than himself and helps develop poverty-stricken communities in which his exploits as on the rugby field are virtually unknown.

He founded the charity EightyTwenty Vision along with his friend Luke O’Keefe in 2009 which focuses on lifting living standards of two wards in Nkayi, a rural centre of some 120,000 people in western Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North province.

The communities, like many in landlocked Zimbabwe, have suffered under the current regime and remain vulnerable to food shortages, malnutrition and the spread of HIV.

Eightytwenty Vision is working for the purpose of assisting the people of Nkayi and uplifting their standard of living through a focus on economic development and equipping people with skills for self-sustenance.

At the moment the programme focuses mainly on two wards: the Philip and Nkalakatha wards. The population of Nkayi is 111,118 as at the 2002 census with an average growth rate of 3.5% per year. Generally the people are heavily dependant on subsistence farming and cattle rearing to sustain their livelihoods. Nkayi, like much of rural Zimbabwe, has experienced severe food shortages, resulting in malnutrition, poor health, and like elsewhere in Zimbabwe is also vulnerable to HIV and Aids.

“In the grand scheme of things, our work is very small but the results we’ve seen so far are very encouraging,” Pocock told Reuters in a recent interview.

“On the ground things are beginning to improve for the community. Most noticeably, there’s a sense that things are starting to happen and there is hope.

“The community is starting to use its own initiative, whereas in the past, given the political and economic situation, it was very easy to feel there was not too much light at the end of the tunnel.”

The softly-spoken Pocock felt compelled to use his high profile in Australia and the rest of the world to help make a difference.

“I think sport has a huge role to play in society in terms of trying to break down stereotypes in a whole range of social issues,” he said

“You hear people say: ‘I never chose to be a role model, I just want to play sport.’ But just by being in the public and having a profile they are role models. I think with playing sport at an elite level comes that responsibility.”

Pocock’s personal integrity, along with his ball-poaching prowess at the breakdown, has seen him awarded the captaincy of Perth-based Super Rugby franchise Western Force in the southern hemisphere’s provincial competition this year, taking over from long-serving lock Nathan Sharpe.

There are many rugby pundits that have touted him as a future Wallabies captain: “There’s plenty to focus on before the Wallabies even get back together,” said Pocock. “To captain your country is obviously a huge honour but there’s a lot of responsibility … It’s not something I think about too much, to be honest.”

Follow David Pocock on Twitter, or on Facebook.

Book – Openside: The David Pocock Story

Based on his spectacular rise and his incredible talent and drive, this book is David’s insight into the world of Rugby. From his early days growing up in Zimbabwe, immigrating to Australia and playing for the Australian Schoolboys, his debut with Western Australia’s The Force, to his call up to the Wallabies, he has won many honours in many games and is held in great esteem by fans and peers alike.

In My Journey To The Rugby World Cup, David shares the life and times of a professional rugby player. It includes key tournaments in Rugby throughout 2011: Super Rugby, Tri-Nations, Bledisloe, as well as the highlight of the Rugby calendar the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Available from Amazon, in the UK and US as a paperback and is also available in electronic form as a digital Kindle Book version:

UK
Openside: The David Pocock Story on Amazon.co.uk

USA

Openside: The David Pocock Story on Amazon.com

Other Zimbabwe Rugby Books

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The Zimbabwe cricket captain, Brendan Taylor has signed to play in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with Chittagong Kings.

Taylor’s agent said that he had signed for Brendan to join the Chittagong Kings for the last three games and the finals in the BPL. He went on to say that “The deal was negotiated directly by us with the owner and CEO, Sameer Quader Chowdhury, of the Chittagong Kings.”

Taylor is not new to playing for an overseas team as he also recently played in New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 league for Wellington, where he scored career-best 101.

In his short career, Taylor has already played 54 Twenty20s and averages a respectable 31 at a very healthy strike-rate of 122.04.

Chittagong are currently in third place in the BPL, two behind joint leaders, Khulna Royal Bengals and Duronto Rajshahi.

Zimbabwe Cricket Books

Amazon, have a bunch of Zim related cricket books, including "Blood, Sweat And Treason" by Henry Olonga, “A History of the Rhodesia and Zimbabwe National Sides” by Jonty Winch who traces the history of cricket in this country (Zimbabwe) from the first recorded game played in 1890, through two World Wars and a guerilla war, to the comparative peace of post-independence and eventual world recognition in the 1980s when Zimbabwe was able to send a side to England to take part in the I.C.C. Trophy competition which it won.

There is also the Autobiography of another great Zimbabwean cricket coach Duncan Fletcher “Behind the Shades”

USA: Amazon.com

Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.com

At the moment Amazon UK don’t have as wide selection as the US site, but I have ordered books from the US and had them delivered to the UK with no problems.

UK: Amazon.co.uk
Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.co.uk

Related Posts

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The first time many would have heard about Dereck Chisora was when he was about to fight Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko in the Olympiahalle, Munich for the WBC World Heavyweight Title, where at the weigh in Dereck slapped Vitali in the face, which has made all the headlines.

But how many of you knew that whilst he lives in the UK and boxes under a British license, Dereck Chisora was actually born in Zimbabwe.

Stats
Born on 29th December 1983, Chisora is a Heavyweight boxer and stands 6ft tall (1.83m) and has a Reach of 74in (188cm) and recently weighed in at 17 stone 3lbs (109.3kg’s).

As an amateur Dereck Chisora had about 20 fights, which included winning a Four Nations gold and the 2005 ABA super heavyweight title.

Professional Career

Chisora turned professional on 17 February 2007 and he won his first against the Hungarian boxer István Kecskés, by winning with a technical knock out in the second round.

He then went on to win three more fights (all by decision) and then squared up against the toughest test of his career the next British heavyweight prospect, Sam Sexton. Almost against the odds Chisora won the fight by stopping Sexton in the final final round.

Dereck Chisora then went on to beat the American Shawn Mclean at the Grosvenor House hotel in Mayfair and then stopped the experienced Lee Swaby in 3 rounds at the York Hall. Chisora then managed to end his second year in professional boxing with a December victory over Neil Simpson at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London’s Docklands and at the time had an impressive 8-0 record.

Darker times were to follow when in 2009, he was suspended for four months for biting Paul Butlin during the fifth round of their 22 May contest at the York Hall in Bethnal Green. Whislt he won the fight, the incident was missed by the referee but TV replays proved conclusive and as a result Chisora missed out on his fight for a British title against Danny Williams. He was also fined £2500.

Then later in November 2010, Chisora was found guilty of assaulting his then-girlfriend after finding text messages from another man on her phone. He was not jailed, but was given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for two years. He was also ordered to pay £1,500 in compensation and £500 costs and complete 150 hours community work.

Dereck Chisora first professional defeat came on 23 July 2011 when he fought Tyson Fury. Chisora dominated the opening rounds unleashing his big left hand on more than one occasion, which had Tyson Fury in some trouble, however he failed to make that advantage count. The next few rounds Fury got into the fight and by the half way stage was in front. After the half way stage Chisora got desperate and in uncharted territory where neither man had gone beyond the 10th round, Tyson’s stamina advantage came good.

Whilst Chisora swing numerous punches, he had a low hit rate, this ultimately lead him to become tired and Fury seized upon this, throwing combinations then holding onto Chisora to waste time. Despite a good fight, with Chisora landing some big left hands Fury won by unanimous decision.

Back to Winning Ways
Another of Dereck’s other wins include the fight on 9 October 2009 against Georgian Zurab Noniashvili where he won by TKO (Technical Knock Out) in three rounds at York Hall.

British Heavy Weight Title
On the 20 January 2010 it was announced that he would get a chance to face Danny Williams for the British Title. Chisora welcomed the chance, saying, “It was my own fault the fight with Williams didn’t go ahead, and I’ve been kicking myself ever since.” On 15 May 2010 Chisora won the British heavyweight title after stopping Williams in the second round.

Then Chisora went on to defeat Sam Sexton by knockout in the ninth round on 18 September. Chisora was then scheduled to face the IBF, IBO, WBO and Ring Magazine heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko on 11 December, but Klitschko pulled out of the fight three days prior with a torn abdominal muscle. The fight was later rescheduled for 30 April 2011, but this was later cancelled so Klitschko could fight David Haye on 2 July.

Dereck Chisora’s Professional Record

• 18 fights
• 15 wins
• 10 by knock-out
• 3 defeats

Dereck Chisora vs Vitali Klitschko

Dereck Chisora was beaten on points by Vitali Klitschko in Munich, but the Zimbabwean born British boxer showed plenty of heart in taking the fight to the scorecards.
Klitschko, defending his WBC heavyweight crown, was a heavy favourite but was unable to do to Chisora what he had done to 40 of his previous 45 opponents, namely knock him out before the final bell.

Chisora was a huge underdog going into the fight, giving away six inches in height and reach to the champion, meaning that many thought his pre-fight promise to be aggressive and fight on the front foot would be difficult to accomplish.

A build-up already shrouded in controversy grew murkier still when news began to filter through that a row had erupted over Chisora’s handwraps and the Ukrainian’s camp insisted that Chisora’s wraps be removed and reapplied, causing the fight to be delayed by 20 minutes.

Chisora had some success to the body at the beginning of the third, but was stopped in his tracks by a thunderous uppercut and there were signs of desperation on the sound of the bell, the Englishman missing with a wild left hook that almost took him off his feet.

Chisora came on strong in the seventh, backing up his rival with some solid shots, only for Klitschko to land with perhaps his best shot of the fight, a barnstorming overhand right that appeared to make Chisora buckle. But Chisora was undeterred, continuing to take Klitschko beyond his comfort zone, where the champion had been so rarely in his previous 45 fights. At the end of the 9th round, Klitschko landed with his right almost at will, but looked astonished that his opponent was still standing, let alone making it a contest with three rounds to go. And, while Klitschko had the better of the exchanges down the stretch, Chisora never stopped coming forward and could leave the ring with his head held high. Chisora will also be buoyed that he gave arguably a better account of himself than domestic rival David Haye gave in losing to Vitali’s younger brother Wladimir in Hamburg last July.

Written before the fight:
Whilst even though he has actually lost his last few fights and he is a big underdog, Dereck Chisora believes he can silence his critics when he takes on the WBC heavyweight champion tonight and says he would take Klitschko’s title:

The Zimbabwean-born boxer is brimming with confidence: “I don’t care what people think, they are not the ones going into the ring,” he said. “I am doing the fighting so I will decide what happens.”

Lennox Lewis, the last boxer to beat Klitschko back in 2003 says Dereck Chisora could pull off an upset: “Chisora has a chance. He is a real heavyweight,” the former champion said on Wednesday. “All he needs is a hit on the chin.”

Vitali Klitschko himself also says that Dereck Chisora is a better heavyweight than David Haye, the former world champion:

“Chisora has exactly the same skills of David Haye, but David Haye was coming from cruiserweight,” he said. “Dereck Chisora is a real heavyweight fighter and that’s why he has a much stronger punch and after the fight, I can give you a more exact answer. Right now, in my personal opinion; they both probably have the same skills.” Klitschko went on to say “David Haye didn’t want to fight my brother. He just kept running away from my brother. He didn’t come in to fight. I expect a better fight from Dereck Chisora. He’s actually a fighter.”

The build-up to this fight had been largely good natured (the Klitschkos tend to prefer it that way) until the weigh-in when Del Boy delivered a right-handed slap to Dr Iron Fist’s cheek: After weighing in at 17 stone 3lbs – just a pound heavier than his lightest weight for a professional bout, Chisora butted heads before slapping Klitschko’s face hard!

The two men were pulled apart, with a furious-looking Klitschko, who had weighed in three pounds heavier, left with a red mark on the left side of his face.

Chisora’s camp said they were unaware of the stunt beforehand, with trainer Don Charles even branding the slap “unacceptable”.

Further Reading

• Great Zimbabweans – Sport

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I stayed at Imire last year when I visited Zimbabwe and was really struck by the great work that they are doing, especially with their protection of Black Rhinos.

So what could be a better, you get to enjoy a short break in a wonderful environment and enjoy some of Africa’s best wildlife just over an hour from Harare whilst the money you spend goes towards protecting one of the most endangered animals on earth.

Below are the details:

Two nights all-inclusive for $280 per person!

What better way to relax before the Christmas festivities than two nights relaxing in the bush at Sable Lodge on Imire Game Park. Let us entertain you with our all-inclusive offer which includes accommodation, all meals and drinks, elephant rides and activities.

Guests may arrive at 9.30am for game drive leaving at 10.00am or after 3:00pm – please advise when booking

For more information please contact Imire Safari Ranch directly:

Sable Lodge
Imire Game Park
Tel: 0222 2094
Cell: 0772 522201
Email: sablelodge@imiresafariranch.com
www.imiresafariranch.com

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Zimbabwe have won a dramatic final-over, one-wicket win in the third and final one-day international against New Zealand in Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe’s two big-hitting all-rounders, Elton Chigumbura and Malcolm Waller, finally came good, with a 112-run sixth-wicket partnership to end a 12-match losing streak across formats. Malcolm Waller, who finished on 99 not out, hit a single off the penultimate ball as Zimbabwe chased down a New Zealand’s 5 for 328 which included centuries by Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.

Record Win:
Not only was it thrilling, but this is now Zimbabwe’s highest successful run chase and ended a sequence of seven successive defeats for the home side.

New Zealand Innings
Earlier on in the day the Black Caps won the toss and decided to bat. They initially got off to a poor start and loosing a few early wickets, but New Zealand captain Taylor (119) and Williamson (100 not out) shared a fifth wicket stand of 195 off only 133 balls.

It turned what seemed likely to be a respectable total into an imposing one, doubling the total by adding 164 runs in the final 15 overs, with the rampage starting in the batting powerplay taken after 35 overs.

Zimbabwe’s Innings
Zimbabwe fought back with captain Brendan Taylor, who had already scored centuries in the first two matches, cracking 75 off 65 balls as he and Hamilton Masakadza (36) put on 100 for the second wicket.

Tatenda Taibu also batted well, scoring an aggressive 53 but it was the swashbuckling sixth wicket stand of 112 off 85 balls between Waller and Elton Chigumbura that really put victory within reach for Zimbabwe.

Waller and Chigumbura got the target down to 34 off 36 balls when Chigumbura was bowled by Jacob Oram.

In a nervy finish, three more wickets fell and with four needed off the last over, Waller was dropped twice by Ross Taylor at midwicket.

Two runs were scored off the first miss and one off the second.

Then Ray Price skied a catch and was caught with the scores tied but the batsmen crossed and Waller had the strike and clinched the match.

The New Zealand captain took the blame for dropping Waller by saying “When you drop catches you lose matches,” and he went on to say that “Brendan Taylor and Waller batted very well”.

Zimbabwe Cricket Books

Amazon, have a bunch of Zim related cricket books, including "Blood, Sweat And Treason" by Henry Olonga, “A History of the Rhodesia and Zimbabwe National Sides” by Jonty Winch who traces the history of cricket in this country (Zimbabwe) from the first recorded game played in 1890, through two World Wars and a guerilla war, to the comparative peace of post-independence and eventual world recognition in the 1980s when Zimbabwe was able to send a side to England to take part in the I.C.C. Trophy competition which it won.

There is also the Autobiography of another great Zimbabwean cricket coach Duncan Fletcher “Behind the Shades”

USA: Amazon.com

Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.com

At the moment Amazon UK don’t have as wide selection as the US site, but I have ordered books from the US and had them delivered to the UK with no problems.

UK: Amazon.co.uk
Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.co.uk

Related Posts

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This post forms part of my section on Returning to Zimbabwe.

For me it is a tough decision to decide weather to stay in the UK or return home to Zimbabwe. If you take out the “feeling” of wanting to return home, just because it is my home, both countries have their advantages and dis-advantages and so in a very simplistic way, I decided to put together a scorecard, just to see in my mind which country had the edge and to see if it could help me with my decision.

I must stress that the scores below reflect my current feelings and are related to my current situation. They are also not based on fact and are just my current feelings for that particular category. For example most of my immediate family still live in Zim and other than my wife and baby, I have no family her in the UK. This will obviously be different for everyone and so if you like the idea, you should put together your own score card.

Where I have a very strong feeling I have given a higher score and a lower score for a less strong feeling towards that particular country:

This table is kind of a work in progress and does change as my feelings and situation changes, but as you see Zimbabwe currently has it, but by only a few points.

As always, I would love to get you thoughts and comments – what categories have I missed out and is there anything you would add or change?

Further Reading

This post forms part of my section on Returning to Zimbabwe.

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Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets (with 52 balls remaining) – 1st ODI: Zimbabwe v Bangladesh, in Harare

Brian Vitori and Vusi Sibanda starring for Zimbabwe, Vitori ran through Bangladesh with a four-wicket burst at the start, and Sibanda was all dancing feet and flashing blade against the left-arm spinners despite the early loss of Taylor. They could have so easily got bogged down, but he saw them through despite a stirring display of swing with the oldish ball from Rubel.

12th August 2011 – Hours of play (local time): 09.30 start (07:30 GMT / 08:30 BST) , First Session 09.30-13.00, Interval 13.00-13.45, Second Session 13.45-17.15

Latest:
Game Over: Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets (with 52 balls remaining)

Drinks: Zimbabwe - 107/1 in 21.0 overs (V Sibanda 53, H Masakadza 38)

Innings Break: Bangladesh - 184/10 in 48.4 overs (Suhrawadi Shuvo 20)
Drinks: Bangladesh - 119/5 in 34.0 overs (Shakib Al Hasan 41, Mushfiqur Rahim 37)
Drinks: Bangladesh - 39/4 in 15.0 overs (Shakib Al Hasan 0, Mahmudullah 4)
Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to bowl first

Brendan Taylor: "Our top order seem to have worked out a better gameplan during chasing. During the Test we saw that the ball did something in the first session."

Kyle Jarvis and Tino Mawoyo miss out from the Zimbabwe XI that played the Test. Prosper Utseya and Forster Mutizwa come in

Kepler Wessels says there is less grass on the surface compared to the pitch on which the Test was played. There is some early morning moisture but that should evaporate soon and bat first is the way to go, he says.

After the excellent victory on their Test return, Zimbabwe now take on Bangladesh in a One Day International (ODI) series - this is a format that is more familiar to both teams. Whilst the Test match was only settled on the final day, Zim were on top for most of the game, but they may not get it all their own way in the ODI's as these two fairly evenly-matched sides face off over five games to be played in Harare and Bulawayo.

Team News
Unlike in the test, Brendan Taylor will opening the batting along with Hamilton Masakadza. After his great performance in the only test against Bangladesh, Brian Vitori is in line for his first ODI cap. Prosper Utseya will also play adding another spinner to the team and Forster Mutizwa, who was rather unlucky to miss out on the Test match after his performance in the warm-up, is likely to slot into the middle order.

It's the batting department where Zimbabwe are likely to look a touch light, but a return to form with the willow by Elton Chigumbura would go some way to solving that. His bowling performance in the Test should give him confidence.

Waller seems the best equipped to fill the second all-rounder's berth which would give the hosts plenty of batting and bowling, but as an offspinner might not be suited to a pace-heavy game plan so may not be included. Keegan Meth could may also get the nod as he is a slightly better batsman than Kyle Jarvis, but expect that place to rotate (Mutizwa must also be in the running) and possibly be a thorn in Zimbabwe's side as they search for the right balance.

Zimbabwe Team: (probable):
1 Brendan Taylor (capt), 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Vusi Sibanda, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 6 Forster Mutizwa, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Ray Price, 10 Brian Vitori, 11 Chris Mpofu.

Bangladesh Team (probable):
1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Junaid Siddique, 4 Shahriar Nafees, 5 Mohammad Ashraful, 6 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 7 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 8 Abdur Razzak, 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Nasir Hossain

A few Stats

If history is anything to go by, things do not look too good for Zim:

Bangladesh have won the last three series between these two countries - two of them at home in Bangladesh and one in Bulawayo - and have therefore been installed as favourites with the bookmakers, but it remains to be seen how they react to losing a Test for which they were ill-prepared and ill-equipped. There is a belief in the Zimbabwean camp that the subcontinental side do not have much of an appetite for adversity and so the hosts will fancy their chances, no doubt hugely encouraged by Monday's result.

Last Five Head-To-Head Results

• December, 2010: Fifth ODI: Bangladesh won by six wickets
• December, 2010: Fourth ODI: Match abandoned
• December, 2010: Third ODI: Bangladesh won by 65 runs
• December, 2010: Second ODI: Bangladesh won by six wickets
• December, 2010: First ODI: Zimbabwe won by nine runs

• In one day cricket, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have played against each other 51 times: Zim 23 wins, Bangladesh 28 wins
• In the last 5 years they have played against each other 31 times: Bangladesh 23 wins, Zimbabwe only 8 wins
• Shahriar Nafees's batting average against Zimbabwe is 62.41, almost double his overall average of 33.34. Three of his four hundreds came against them, including his highest score of 123.

Bangladesh's recent dominance over Zimbabwe may suggest that are firm favourites on the eve this series, but the tables have turned a little. Zimbabwe beat them in their comeback Test and will want to maintain their status with a convincing performance in the ODIs. Although Zim's most recent showing in the fifty-over format, at the 2011 World Cup, was disappointing. They registered just one win over minnows Kenya and their five defeats meant that any outside chance they had of making it to the quarter-finals quickly disappeared.

On a more positive note: Ray Price should enjoy the game as his highest score with the bat (46) was against Bangladesh in August 2009 as are his best bowling figures of 4 for 22 also against Bangladesh in January 2009.

Series Fixtures

• First ODI: 12 August, Harare
• Second ODI: 14 August, Harare
• Third ODI: 16 August, Harare
• Fourth ODI: 19 August, Bulawayo
• Fifth ODI: 21 August, Bulawayo

Zimbabwe Cricket Books

Amazon, have a bunch of Zim related cricket books, including "Blood, Sweat And Treason" by Henry Olonga, "A History of the Rhodesia and Zimbabwe National Sides" by Jonty Winch who traces the history of cricket in this country (Zimbabwe) from the first recorded game played in 1890, through two World Wars and a guerilla war, to the comparative peace of post-independence and eventual world recognition in the 1980s when Zimbabwe was able to send a side to England to take part in the I.C.C. Trophy competition which it won.

There is also the Autobiography of another great Zimbabwean cricket coach Duncan Fletcher "Behind the Shades"

USA: Amazon.com

Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.com

At the moment Amazon UK don't have as wide selection as the US site, but I have ordered books from the US and had them delivered to the UK with no problems.

UK: Amazon.co.uk
Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.co.uk

Where to Buy Blood, Sweat and Treason

Currently available in Hardcover it is available online through Amazon, in the UK and US

UK
Blood, Sweat and Treason on Amazon.co.uk

USA

Blood, Sweat and Treason on Amazon.com

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