Zimbabwe Squad for the ICC Cricket World Twenty20: Prosper Utseya (capt), Brendan Taylor (wk), Andy Blignaut, Charles Coventry, Hamilton Masakadza, Tatenda Taibu (wk), Greg Lamb, Elton Chigumbura, Vusi Sibanda, Ray Price, Graeme Cremer, Chamu Chibhabha, Chris Mpofu, Timycen Maruma, Craig Ervine.

Zimbabwe cricket is slowly returning from their lowest point and becoming once again a respected team in international cricket and Alan Butcher, the new Zimbabwe coach, is banking on his team to pull off an upset during the opening round of World Twenty20 matches in the West Indies. They have been grouped with New Zealand and Sri Lanka for the opening phase of the tournament and Butcher believes the nature of the format gives his side a chance.

The introduction of Heath Streak and Alan Butcher as coaches along with the return of experienced players like wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu, spinner Ray Price and all-rounder Andy Blignaut has given Zimbabwe a much-needed boost.

As shown in the recent series that had with the West Indies where Zimbabwe won a few games including a Twenty20 international, the slower Caribbean pitches will suit Zimbabwe’s good slow bowling attack, and they have plenty of it with left-armer Price, leggie Graeme Cremer and off-spinners Greg Lamb, who has done well since returning to his homeland after five seasons with Hampshire, and skipper Prosper Utseya.

Zimbabwe’s tactics throughout the series with the West Indies was based around their spinners, with the new ball given to Ray Price and they set to continue with a similar style of play on what is likely to be a slow, low wicket at Providence in Guyana.

Hamilton Masakadza and Elton Chigumbura can hit a long ball while Charles Coventry, who recently lost his record for the highest one-day international individual score to Sachin Tendulkar, has the potential to dent the better bowling attacks in world cricket.

Zimbabwe will draw strength from their recent victorys over the West Indies and over Australia in a warm up match as well as in the 2007 tournament, but will still find it hard to beat teams like New Zealand and Sri Lanka on a regular basis.

Zimbabwe’s Recent Highlights

• Beat Australia in Cape Town in 2007 in its first ICC WT20 match, to emulate their victory over the same team in its first ICC CWC match in 1983.
• Beat West Indies by 26 runs in a Twenty20 International at Port-of-Spain in February this year.
• Beat Australia in a Warm Up Game.
• Its highest Twenty20 International total is 184-5 against Canada at Toronto in 2008.
• Two Zimbabweans, Ray Price and Prosper Utseya, are amongst the four bowlers who have conceded just six runs in four overs of a Twenty20 International.
• Reached the Super Six stage in ICC CWC 1999 and ICC CWC 2003, but have yet to reach a semi-final in an ICC event.
• Have recorded ODI wins over all other Full members of the ICC.
• The domestic Twenty20 tournament held in Zimbabwe in February this year was won by Mountaineers who beat Mashonaland Eagles in the final.

Zimbabwe’s First Round Fixtures:

Mon May 3 – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local | 14:30 BST
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Tue May 4 – New Zealand v Zimbabwe
13:30 GMT | 09:30 local | 14:30 BST
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Six hitters: Charles Coventry, Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Andy Blignaut
Toe-cruncher: Andy Blignaut
Spinners: Ray Price, Greg Lamb, Prosper Utesya, Graeme Cremer
Best fielder: Graeme Cremer
Ones to watch: Charles Coventry, Tatenda Taibu

Zimbabwe – Players

Prosper Utseya- CAPTAIN	Ray Price	Tatenda Taibu	Andy Blignaut
Vusi Sibanda	Brendan Taylor	Charles Coventry	Hamilton Masakadza
Graeme Cremer	Chamu Chibhabha	Chris Mpofu	Elton Chigumbura
Timycen Maruma	Greg Lamb	Craig Ervine

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

The first game of the five match one day series between the West Indies and Zimbabwe will be played at the Provedence ground in Guyana on Thursday March 4th and is to be shown live on Sky Sports 4 from 13:25 here in the UK. The two sides recently played out a low-scoring but very thrilling T20I, where Zimbabwe beat a Denesh Ramdin-led West Indies side.

West Indies still favourites
Despite that loss, it is the lack of Zimbabwean firepower and the previous record that will allow West Indies to go into the game as favourites according to the bookies and it is Chris Gayle’s return to the West Indian side obviously means that he will be favoured to get to a big one. He hdid not have a very good tour of Australia and hence will look to use this opportunity to overcome the form issues before the start of the IPL. West Indies will also be strengthened by the return to international cricket of Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, while Adrian Barath will be tested in his opener’s role.

Kieron Pollard’s recent elevation to an ODI player, as compared to his earlier T20I specialist tag saw him take off well in Australia. He could be the man to watch out for in the series, and how he goes about his business in the first game will make for an interesting viewing.

Zimbabwe’s batsmen have not been as consistent as they would have liked, but that has probably to do with their lack of exposure at the highest level. Most of their recent games against teams like Bangladesh have also been lost and that has mainly to do with the fact that the likes of Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor and Charles Coventry have not been able to perform well as regularly as they would have liked.

The one batsman who missed out in the Twenty20, but cannot be counted out is Tatenda Taibu who had begun the tour with a century and who will look to make this innings count as well.

Team news
Though Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan have not been included in the squad for the opening one-day game, West Indies will be boosted by Gayle’s return, and will also depend heavily on Chanderpaul’s extensive experience and calm batting.

West Indies (probable) – 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Adrian Barath, 3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 4 Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Dwayne Smith, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Sulieman Benn, 11 Nikita Miller

Chris Mpofu and Kyle Jarvis both proved expensive in Zimbabwe’s warm-up game against the UWI Vice Chancellor’s XI, and with another spin-friendly surface expected in Guyana, Zimbabwe could well go for a three-pronged slow bowling attack once again.

Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Brendan Taylor 4 Tatenda Taibu (wk), 5 Charles Coventry, 6 Greg Lamb, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Prosper Utseya (capt), 9 Ray Price, 10 Graeme Cremer, 11 Shingirai Masakadza

Fancy a Flutter?
Make the game even more interesting and put some money on it:
Favourites: West Indies (1/4 at Boylesports)
Top West Indian batsman: Chris Gayle (13/5 at Totesport)
Top Zimbabwean batsman: Tatenda Taibu (9/2 at Boylesports)

Free £60 bet when you bet with totesport! – Totesport are currently offering you a £60 in free bets when you open an account with them.

Zimbabwe Cricket Books

Amazon, have a bunch of Zim related cricket books, including “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 Books 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

BULAWAYO: Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh by 69 runs in the third One-day International at the Queen’s Sports Club on Friday and Hamilton Masakadza hits a maiden one-day century.

Third one-day international, Bulawayo:
Zimbabwe 323-7 (50 overs) bt Bangladesh 254 (44.2 overs) by 69 runs

Masakadza made 102 and shared a fourth-wicket stand of 142 with Brendan Taylor, who was run out for 94. Elton Chigumbura weighed in with five sixes in his unbeaten 61 off 33 balls as the home side totalled 323-7.

Seamer Tawanda Mupariwa and spinner Ray Price then took three wickets each as as Bangladesh were bowled out for 254.

Despite the defeat, Bangladesh lead the series 2-1.

>> Full Report on BBC News