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Top batsman Coventry in World Cup doubt PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 14 June 2012 17:48

Kevin Mapasure

ZIMBABWE national cricket team batsman Charles Coventry has been excluded from the squad which will play the Twenty20 triangular series with South Africa and Bangladesh in Harare next week. Despite being part of the squad in camp for the last two months, Coventry has been axed from a version of the game many view is best suited to his abilities.


His World Cup dreams are now shattered considering this may just be the last international assignment before the onset of the cricket showcase.


Coventry is one of the cleanest hitters of the ball who carried a lot of promise earlier in his international career.


He has, however, failed to blossom and secure a place as a regular member of the national side.


Meanwhile, wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu has also been ruled out of next week’s Twenty20 triangular series casting doubt on his fitness for the World Cup.


Taibu has been dogged by a troublesome index-finger injury which saw him miss a lot of action last term. Four months on the right-hander is still struggling with the same injury.


Chris Mpofu, Kyle Jarvis, Shingi Masakadza and Prosper Utseya are set to make their return to the team in the series after being rested from the warm-up match to be played today.
The triangular series is meant to prepare the three teams for the World Cup, to be hosted in Sri Lanka this September.


The tri-series may be the only international and competitive action the national team is left with ahead of the global showcase. They will be keen to fare well in the series after ending last season on a rather low note.


Head of Zimbabwe’s selection panel, Givemore Makoni, said Taibu is set to miss the whole series as he battles to recover from injury.


“He is likely to miss the whole series together with Raymond Price. He will be assessed to ascertain whether he can play a part in the later stages, but at this stage it is highly unlikely,” said Makoni.


Makoni, however, remains hopeful the player will regain full fitness by the time the World Cup commences.


Zimbabwe is in the same group as South Africa and Sri Lanka and the series will be the perfect precursor to the duel in September.

http://www.theindependent.co.zw/sport/3 ... doubt.html

give charles a chance man!!

Poor decision again ZC

Zimbabwe have point to prove' - Mangongo




Stephen Mangongo, the Zimbabwe assistant coach, has said his side have a point to prove in their upcoming Twenty20 tri-series against South Africa and Bangladesh despite the series not being granted official status as it falls outside the ICC Future Tours Programme.

"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.

"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 South African squad is missing a clutch of its big stars as AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel have been rested. All four played extensively during the recent IPL and will be integral parts of South Africa's tour of England in July. Bangladesh will be without Shakib Al Hasan, who has asked to be rested.

Zimbabwe announced a 24-man training squad in May that included a couple of new faces in Zimbabwe Under-19 and Mountaineers batsman Kevin Kasuza and Mid West Rhinos seamer Richard Muzhange. Mountaineers fast bowler Tendai Chatara, who played a solitary T20I against India in 2010, has also been included in the preliminary group.

"Kevin Kasuza is one to watch," Mangongo said. "Amazing boy, amazing batsman, very talented. Then there's Tendai Chatara, from Mountaineers again. A tall, lanky bowler. He played one game for the national team, had a back problem and faded away a bit. He's back in the fold and he's bowling quick. These two youngsters should be looking for good things in the coming series."

Zimbabwe have not played since their tour of New Zealand in January and February. Their only other opportunity to prepare for the World Twenty20 in September will be a triangular A series against South Africa A and Sri Lanka A in July. Their scheduled hosting of Bangladesh in August was postponed because of maintenance work on the pitches in Harare and Bulawayo.

Prior to their trip to New Zealand, Zimbabwe had been through an unusually busy spell, having hosted Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand in the midst of the domestic season. Mangongo suggested that a break from cricket had actually been required, allowing several players - such as Chris Mpofu, who was sidelined by a lower back injury last season - to recover from injuries, and also allowing the cricketers to spend time with their families at home.

"Basically it came from Alan Butcher and the whole technical department that after having played non-stop cricket, there was a need to rejuvenate the bodies," Mangongo said. "Give the guys time off. Some of the married guys, they want to be with their families. Allow them time and space. Allow them to recover from niggles.

"Then from there on, those who feel that they want to continue playing the game, provided they're not injured, please with pleasure go ahead and play. So it was a mixture of both. And obviously you find that there are some guys like Hamilton [Masakadza] who just eat and drink cricket every day. He rested for one week, or two weeks, and then he was back and playing club cricket again. So, that's good too."

The tri-series begins on June 17 with Zimbabwe's match against Bangladesh at Harare Sports Club.

**** these ****s!

It's especially baffling with Taibu's WC also in doubt. I don't rate Chakabva or Foster as T20 players, so who's going to take the gloves: Taylor? Coventry would have been an excellent cover.