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Sibanda appointed Midwest Rhinos captain

By Mehluli Sibanda

ZIMBABWE senior national cricket team batsman Vusumuzi Sibanda has been appointed captain of the Midwest Rhinos franchise.


Sibanda is an experienced player who has been playing first class cricket in Zimbabwe since 2001 for the then Midlands. He has also played club cricket in Australia for the past three years.
The franchise has also appointed former Zimbabwe national team batsman Andy “Bundu” Waller as their coach while former Matabeleland all-rounder Clement Mahachi is his assistant.
In an interview with Sunday Sport last Thursday, Midwest Rhinos franchise chief executive officer Kenyon Ziehl said they had appointed Sibanda to lead the team and hoped he would lead from the front and score runs for his franchise. Sibanda struggled with his batting during Zimbabwe’s recent home series against Bangladesh and scored just two runs in two innings.
“We have appointed Vusi Sibanda as our captain, we hope he will prove critics wrong and score runs for us,” said Ziehl.
The Kwekwe based franchise has also secured the services of Zimbabwe top order batsman Brendan Taylor who is their vice-captain. Taylor is however in the United Kingdom.
Other big name players who have signed up for the Midwest Rhinos are national team players, leg spinner Graeme Cremer, fast bowler Edward Rainsford, top order batsman Malcolm Waller and Zimbabwe A batsman Friday Kasteni.
Ziehl said the players are training both in Harare and Kwekwe with Waller shuffling in between the two cities.
Midwest Rhinos was born out of the merger between Midlands and Mashonaland West and will play their home matches at Kwekwe Sports Club.
In their first Logan Cup match, Midwest Rhinos play host to Mashonaland Eagles in a match starting on 14 September.
The two teams also clash in a limited overs match at the same venue on 19 September.

Zimbabwe news

Sibanda named Midwest Rhinos captain

Cricinfo staff

September 7, 2009

Vusi Sibanda, the Zimbabwe batsman, has been appointed as captain of the Midwest Rhinos, one of the five new franchises in Zimbabwe's revamped domestic structure whose season gets underway this Saturday.

Sibanda played two Tests against West Indies in 2003, and his third against Bangladesh two years later, but has been more regularly seen in ODI cricket with a top score of 116 in his 79 internationals. He has played club cricket in Australia for the past three years.

The team have also secured Brendan Taylor, the hard-hitting right-hander who cracked 94 and 61 against Bangladesh last month, along with Andy Waller as their coach. Clement Mahachi, the former Matabeleland allrounder, is his assistant.

Midwest Rhinos were formed by the merger between Midlands and Mashonaland West and will play their home matches at Kwekwe Sports Club. They face Eagles in their first match.