U-19 cricket talent search complete

U-19 cricket talent search complete

By Innocent Ndorikanda

ZIMBABWE’S cricket Under 19 technical team have completed the process of scouting for talent from across the country for the junior teams ahead of developmental tours to South Africa in December and early next year.

ZC is expecting to send three teams — Under-13, Under-17 and Under-19 — to South Africa in a move meant to bolster the Under-19 XI for the next International Cricket Council World Cup in Argentina and "expose the juniors to semi-professional cricket at the early stage."

The Under-13 team are set to travel to South Africa as the first group on December 11 where they will play in the Standard Bank Week in a three games format — the time game, 30 overs and Twenty20.

ZC are then expected to send the Under-17 team to take part in the Under-17 Week where they will be expected to fight for pride while getting experience in a 45 overs and Twenty20 clashes. But most of the focus will be on the Under-19 team who will make the last batch of the programme to tour South Africa after the last meeting between the neighbours ended in a 50 whitewash of hosts Zimbabwe.

They are set to be playing South Africa’s provincial sides in the Cubs’ Week from January 2123 next year before they complete the tour by playing the hosts’ Under19 national team in two Twenty20s and five ODIs.

The Cubs Week will feature Zimbabwe, Namibia’s Under19 national team and South Africa’s nine provinces — Boland, Border, Easterns, Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal, Limpopo, North West, and South West. But Zimbabwe will likely to play between Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal and Easterns because they are considerably stronger than other provinces.