Zimbabwe announces new T20I skipper for the tri-series

Zimbabwe is all set to host Pakistan and Australia for the T20I tri-series starting from first of July. The tri-nation series will have six group games before the top two teams making it to the final on 8th of July. Their top players Brendan Taylor, Sikandar Raza, Graeme Cremer and Sean Williams will be missing from the Zimbabwe squad due to the ongoing dispute of non-payment of salaries.

In the absence of star players, Zimbabwe Cricket has decided to announce Hamilton Masakadza as their new T20I skipper for the tri-series. The 34-year old last captained the T20I side in 2016, where he led the team to three wins out of the five games he captained in. Masakadza boasts a strike-rate of almost 120 in T20Is.

Interim head coach to drive the side towards positive results

Zimbabwe recently appointed the former Indian cricketer, Lalchand Rajput as their interim coach for the T20I tri-series. After announcing the 17-member final squad, Rajput announced that he will be patient to take his team towards positive results, “As a coach, you like challenges and I think it’s a challenge for me, which I have done with Afghanistan and India when I was appointed the T20 coach and we won the T20 World Cup in 2017,” he said as quoted by Cricket Next.

With new skipper, the heavily weakened Zimbabwe side will aim to trouble the cricketing giants Pakistan and Australia. The tri-series will be a treat to watch irrespective of the star players absence from the series.

Here’s Zimbabwe Cricket’s official tweet

Hamilton Masakadza has been named Zimbabwe captain ahead of the T20I #TriSeries versus Pakistan and Australia in Harare. Boasting 52 T20I, 193 ODI and 36 Test appearances, at number 10 he is currently Zimbabwe’s highest-ranked batsman in the T20I format. All the best, skipper! pic.twitter.com/lAtk9DbgrW

— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) June 30, 2018

Zimbabwe’s final squad for T20I tri-series vs Australia and Pakistan: Hamilton Masakadza (C), Cephas Zhuwao, Chamu Chibhabha, Wellington Masakadza, Brian Chari, Blessing Muzarabani, Solomon Mire, Tarisai Musakanda, Elton Chigumbura, Malcolm Waller, Peter Moor, Tendai Chisoro, Brandon Mavuta, Chris Mpofu, Ryan Burl, Ryan Murray, Kyle Jarvis.