Zimbabwe pick up 5 uncapped players for two Test series

HARARE: Zimbabwe have picked five uncapped players in their 16-member squad for the twoTest series against Pakistan. The series begins on April 29.

Luke Jongwe, Richard Ngarava, Roy Kaia, Milton Shumba and Tanaka Chivanga are the uncapped players to get an opportunity to play in Test matches.

Pace bowler Jongwe had helped Zimbabwe beat Pakistan in the second T20 International last week with a four-wicket haul. He picked nine wickets in the recently-concluded three-t20i series.

Brendon Taylor, who missed the Test series against Afghanistan, but returned for the last two T20IS comes into the squad for the Test matches.

Sikandar Raza hasn’t been included in the squad since he is undergoing treatment for bone marrow infection.

Ryan Burl, Wesley Madhevere, Richmond Mutumbami and Brandon Mavuta are the others to miss out.

The first Test will be played between April 29 and May 3 while the second Test will be played between May 7 and 11.

Both the African nations, Zimbabwe and South Africa have witnessed a steep decline in their ranking and form.

The African nations, who were a force to be reckoned with in 90’s and early 2000 have been plagued by off the pitch issues which rocked them.

In a separate development, Cricket South Africa’s interim board and decision-making members’ council say they have reached an agreement and “a crisis has been averted” ater the government evoked a law to defund the federation and remove recognition for all the country’s national teams.

It would have meant that South Africa would not have been able to compete in international cricket while its national federation was stripped of its status.

The agreement between the interim board and members’ council was announced late Sunday night and two days ater the minister of sport said he was exercising his powers to no longer recognize cricket South Africa as the body in charge of the sport in South Africa.

It relates to the failure of the members’ council - which is made up of the presidents of South Africa’s 14 cricket provinces - to agree to governance reforms at a special general meeting last weekend.

Part of the reform package for the troubled national body includes installing an independent chairman and a majority of independent members on CSA’S board. The reforms, supported by the interim board and the government, were rejected by the provincial presidents, leading to minister of sport Nathi Mthethwa stepping in.

“The members’ council and the board are very pleased to announce that a crisis has been averted and agreement has been reached on all those outstanding issues,” cricket South Africa said.

Mthethwa’s decision Friday to intervene in the dispute and remove recognition of cricket South Africa has not yet been officially published as law by the government, effectively giving CSA a last-ditch opportunity to resolve its problems.

The sports ministry hadn’t yet reacted to the development but CSA hoped it would lead to it being fully recognized again. The agreement would be formally adopted by CSA within 48 hours, it said.