Zimbabwe eager to make a mark in the upcoming series - Cricket News Update
Zimbabwe cricket team’s assistant coach, Stephen Mangongo, has said that his team is eager to make a mark in the upcoming T20 tri-series involving South Africa and Bangladesh.
"We are taking these as full-on, serious games," Mangongo told ESPNcricinfo. "We don't have many opportunities to play South Africa, so every opportunity we get to play them we've got a point to prove.
The series has not been granted official status as it was not on ICC’s radar earlier however, it will provide a stern test for a relatively inexperienced home side, which are aiming to get some competitive action under their belt before they contest in the ICC World T20 Cup in September.
Coming up against Proteas will not be easy despite the tourists missing some of their renowned players. AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn have been given added rest following their involvement in the Indian Premier League.
In addition, the Rhodesians will battle Bangladesh, whom they played last year and performed particularly well. However, the Bengali have been in good form recently where they finished runners up to Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2012. Nonetheless, they will have to do without their talisman, Shakib Al Hasan, who was omitted from the squad at the final hour after the board decided to give the player extra time to recuperate following a hectic 2-year.
This will be the hosts' first bout since they competed against New Zealand earlier in the year. The outcome of the series was disappointing as they came home empty handed. However, the team has some exciting youngsters in the squad and their assistant coach has insisted that his side will take the upcoming bouts seriously.
"We want to improve our cricket. We want the world to see that there are some good things happening in terms of cricket in Zimbabwe. So we are taking the games absolutely seriously, and giving it everything we've got. In the process, it also becomes a build-up for the T20 World Cup. It's also a huge incentive for the guys who perform, and who are on the borderlines trying to get into the side."
The first match of the series will be played on June 17, between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
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