Zimbabwe Under 19's Team Profile
Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:39 am
http://iccu19worldcup.yahoo.net/teams-a ... ofile.htmlZimbabwe Team Profile
Zimbabwe will head into the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2010 in New Zealand desperate to make a mark in the tournament after some disappointing performances in recent years.
But it will face a difficult test if it wants to secure a top eight finish after being placed in a strong group which also features New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Canada.
In the group stages of the 2008 event, Zimbabwe lost all its games, losing to Pakistan by 87 runs, Malaysia by 70 runs and New Zealand by 98 runs.
It then suffered a crushing defeat to Nepal by 99 runs in the ninth placed play-off, defeated Malaysia by 44 runs in the next stage of the competition, before losing to Ireland by six wickets in the 13th place play-off.
In recent matches Zimbabwe U19s has lost one-day series 5-0 to Bangladesh and 6-1 to Pakistan. It will draw comfort, though, from the fact that Pakistan is a two-time winner of this event and the consolation victory against this opponent illustrates that on its day it could be a dangerous side for anybody to face.
Dylon Higgins and Tinotenda Mutombodzi will be important players with the bat while Steve Chimhamhiwa is also highly rated.
With Zimbabwe’s senior team going through a transitional stage, players will know that spots in the squad for the ICC World Twenty20, that will take place in the Caribbean in April and May, are potentially up for grabs.
And the fact some of the squad are getting their chance in a restructured domestic set-up, allied with improving opportunities in international cricket, means that these are exciting times to be a young cricketer in Zimbabwe.
KEY PLAYER TO WATCH
Dylon Higgins – The 18-year-old burst onto the first-class scene in 2009, taking 11 wickets on his first-class debut. A leg-spinner, who unsurprisingly lists Shane Warne as his cricketing hero, has plenty of family heritage in the game with his uncle, Colin Robertson, and brother, Ryan, both having appeared for Zimbabwe. His cousin, Calum Price, is also a member of the current Zimbabwe U19 squad.
