COMPETITION for places within the senior women’s cricket team has intensified with up and coming younger players challenging the more established lot, leaving officials with a selection headache.
This week, the women begin their Regional T20 competition in Harare, their final competitive form of cricket before they depart for India at the end of the month.
Zimbabwe Women’s Cricket chief of selectors, Julia Chibhabha, revealed that they have come up with a squad for the India tour which is made up of youth and experience.
It includes skipper Mary-Anne Musonda, youthful all-rounder Kelis Ndhlovu, experienced wicketkeeper batter Modester Mupachikwa as well as the big hitting Chipo Migeri-Tiripano.
The other established players include Josephine Nkomo and Ashley Ndiraya, Precious Marange and Nomvelo Sibanda.
Fresh talent in the ranks includes Francisca Chipare (25), Kudzai Chigora (17), Adel Zimunhu (19) and Lindokuhle Mabhero (20) with the experienced duo of Loryn Phiri and Tasmeen Granger having been pushed out.
"The team leaves on October 25, so we still have another set of regional matches this week, then from there the final travelling squad will be confirmed," Chibhabha told NewsDay Sport.
Lady Chevrons head coach, Gary Brent, added that the Regional T20s are an important exercise which has major relevance ahead of the Africa Women’s Qualifiers in Uganda in December.
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“We had a very exciting time in women’s cricket. We have got some very exciting youngsters coming through. We have got Christina from Bulawayo; she’s a very exciting up and coming seamer. Kudzi (Chigora) from Mutare again is an up and coming seamer,” Brent told NewsDay Sport.
“We have Adel (Zimunhu) from Harare. She’s bowling exceptionally well. Mitchell Mavhunga has come back from injury and is looking very good. So there’s a lot of competition from the young players coming through and it’s a very exciting time for women’s cricket.
“We have regionals coming up at the end of this week. It’s the Regional T20s, so that will be interesting, to see how everyone does and then we go to India at the end of the month. It’s exciting times, the girls are playing exceptionally well, we have quite a few games lined up, in time for Uganda which are the World Cup Qualifiers; we hope we will be ready.”
Training squad
Mary-Anne Musonda, Kelis Ndhlovu, Modester Mupachikwa, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Josephine Nkomo, Ashley Ndiraya, Nyasha Gwanzura, Loreen Tshuma, Chiedza Dhururu, Precious Marange, Audrey Mazvishaya, Nomvelo Sibanda, Francisca Chipare, Kudzai Chigora, Adel Zimunhu, Lindokuhle Mabhero.
