The fluent batsman has been in excellent form in 2022 and will be Zimbabwe's key weapon in Australia but, as NICK FRIEND writes, he will need his teammates to step up to the plate...
Coach: Dave Houghton
Houghton, who became Zimbabwe's first Test captain during his playing career, previously coached his country during the 1990s. He replaced Lalchand Rajput in charge as part of a reshuffle, with Rajput – whose contract was extended in March by Zimbabwe Cricket – taking on a new role as technical director.
There has been further recent upheaval, however: Lance Klusener has quit as batting coach, having only recently re-joined the coaching staff, while Steve Kirby has reunited with Houghton following their partnership at Derbyshire. Kirby is Zimbabwe's bowling coach.
Captain: Craig Ervine
The veteran has recovered from a series of hamstring and knee issues that had bugged him since midway through the year, and he replaces Regis Chakabva in the role not long after Chakabva led Zimbabwe to one of their most famous victories of recent times, winning an ODI in – and against – Australia for the first time.
His record with the bat is marginally better as captain – both in terms of average and strike rate – but slotting back in following success in his absence means that eyes will be on how his side performs. The 37-year-old – part of the prolific Ervine family and younger brother of Hampshire stalwart Sean – made his professional debut almost two decades ago.
Sikandar Raza is crucial with the bat for Zimbabwe [AFP via Getty Images]
Superstars
Sikandar Raza: One of the form players in world cricket through 2022, only five full-member-nation players – Suryakumar Yadav, Mohammad Rizwan, Nicholas Pooran, Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma – have scored more T20I runs than Raza, who has churned out 516 in 16 games, averaging almost 40 at a strike rate of 152.21.
He was the player of the tournament in the qualifying competition that Zimbabwe successfully navigated to reach this stage, dominating through the middle overs to guide his country back to the T20 World Cup for the first time since 2016, after off-field issues prevented their qualification for the 2021 edition.
Ryan Burl: Perhaps somewhat unknown to many casual observers, Burl has become one of the more destructive allrounders in the game. In this year alone, he smashed Nasum Ahmed for 34 runs in a single over during a T20I between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in August, a month before picking up a five-wicket haul in just 18 deliveries against Australia in Townsville.
A leg-spinner and hard-hitting left-hander, Burl, 28, has featured in the Bangladesh Premier League and the Shpageeza T20 Tournament in Afghanistan. A big tournament in Australia might just open more doors.
Blessing Muzarabani: The former Northamptonshire seamer is fit again after picking up an injury that had kept him out since the semi-final of the qualifying tournament in July. That meant he missed the landmark win over Australia, but his return in a warmup defeat against Sri Lanka was a major boost to Houghton and new bowling coach Kirby, with the combination of his height and Australia's pitches likely a fine match. With Pakistan Super League experience behind him, he will be looking to add to five wickets in five T20Is this year.
Rising star
In a squad full of experience, Tony Munyonga is a rare youngster at 23 years of age. The off-spinning allrounder is wicketless so far in his short international career but has made an encouraging start to life on the global stage, playing a vital cameo – an unbeaten 30 in 16 balls – to beat Bangladesh in his second ODI appearance in August.
His T20I debut came three years earlier when he was only 20, but he has impressed senior players – Raza namechecked him in the aftermath of Zimbabwe's series win over Bangladesh – and it is hoped that he will begin to establish himself, much like Wessly Madhevere has done, to provide a youthful core ready one day to take over from Ervine, 37, Raza, 36, and Sean Williams 35.
Ryan Burls offers an option with bat and ball [AFP via Getty Images]
BATTING
Power hitters
Sikandar Raza: Raza's fabulous year can perhaps be most basically summed up in the disparity of sixes hit by Zimbabwe in 2022: he has smashed 27, 18 more than anyone else. A fine player who has perhaps flown under the radar for much of his career, the veteran allrounder has played T20 cricket all around the world – from the Caribbean Premier League to the Pakistan Super League to the Mzansi Super League to the Global T20 Canada. Much rests on his shoulders, but little in the last 10 months has fazed him. Only in August, he made an ODI hundred against India.
Sean Williams: The return to fitness of the 36-year-old is a big positive for Zimbabwe: an excellent reverse-sweeper, he holds the record for the fastest ODI hundred by a Zimbabwean and he is one of just four men – Brendan Taylor, Elton Chigumbura and Vusi Sibanda the others – to have made a half century at the T20 World Cup for the country. A handy left-arm spinner for good measure, he was in good touch during the ODI series defeat by India in late August.
Anchor
Craig Ervine: Back from injury, the captain will look to provide a platform for his teammates to bat around. He has struggled for consistent runs in 2022, mind, averaging just 17.35 this year across 15 innings. Madhevere, 22, looks a fine prospect and Zimbabwe will hope that he can continue his breakthrough year into the World Cup. Only Raza has scored more runs for Houghton's men in 2022 in T20Is, having only even made his professional debut two years ago. He batted at No.3 against Australia in the absences of Ervine and Williams.
Finisher
Ryan Burl: When Burl hammered Nasum Ahmed for 34 runs in a single over, he was in fact breaking a previous record that he had also set – for the most runs taken in an over by a Zimbabwean. That previous figure also came against Bangladesh, when he took Shakib Al Hasan for 30 in six balls at Mirpur in 2019. In Zimbabwe's squad, only Raza has hit more sixes this year – he has hit nine of the 142 deliveries he has faced in 2022 over the ropes.
Problem areas
Much depends on Raza, given his excellence in 2022. If he fires – particularly in the first round – then Zimbabwe will fancy themselves to reach the Super 12s. Recent injuries to key, experienced players will be a worry: they have all been passed fit for the competition, but whether the likes of Ervine and Williams are undercooked remains to be seen. They can scarcely afford for their long-time stalwarts to fail on the big stage. Milton Shumba, 21, and Madhevere are both fine prospects and very much part of the future for Zimbabwean batting.
Blessing Muzarabani will lead the line for Zimbabwe [AFP via Getty Images]
BOWLING
Speed merchants
Muzarabani will lead the attack, with the additional nous picked up during a stint as a net-bowler for Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League. He will be joined by Tendai Chatara who, like Muzarabani, has recovered from injury – Chatara had suffered a collarbone fracture during a clash with Jersey at the qualifying tournament.
He is Zimbabwe's second-highest wicket-taker in this format, only a single scalp behind Luke Jongwe, who has 48 T20I wickets and dismissed both Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill during the recent ODI series against India. Brad Evans, 25, is part of the newer generation of Zimbabwe cricketers; he is the son of former allrounder Craig and impressed in the three-wicket win over Australia, taking the wickets of Alex Carey and Marcus Stoinis. Richard Ngarava offers a left-arm option.
Variation
Zimbabwe come armed with plenty of spin: Wellington Masakadza is the youngest of the three brothers and is a wily left-arm spinner, while Madhevere, Munyonga, Raza, Williams and even Shumba are all part-time options with varying degrees of experience. Raza, as well as he has batted this year, is also Zimbabwe's leading T20I wicket-taker in 2022, tied with Jongwe and four ahead of Ryan Burl, the wrist-spinner in this squad.
Problem areas
Much will depend on how the pace attack fares, particularly given the recent injuries from which Muzarabani and Chatara have only just recovered. Masakadza was also a doubt as he came back from a shoulder tendon problem, but he has been passed fit. With Kirby overseeing them, Zimbabwe can ill-afford those fitness issues cropping up again.
Who takes the gloves?
Regis Chakabva is the wicketkeeper, having waited for some time for his turn. He turned 35 in September and is without a half century in T20Is. His back-up is Clive Madande, the 22-year-old who has played just twice at international level.
Squad: Craig Ervine (c), Ryan Burl, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Bradley Evans, Luke Jongwe, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Sean Williams
Fixtures: Oct 17 – Ireland, Oct 19 – West Indies, Oct 21 – Scotland
Possible starting XI: Regis Chakabva, Craig Ervine, Wessly Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, Milton Shumba, Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Brad Evans, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Chatara
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