Ervine Returns; Mufudza, Akram Included As Zimbabwe Announce White-ball Squads For Sri Lanka Tour

Ervine returns; Mufudza, Akram included as Zimbabwe announce white-ball squads for Sri Lanka tour (Image Source: IANS)

Zimbabwe T20I: Zimbabwe have included uncapped spinner Tapiwa Mufudza and pace bowler Faraz Akram in their ODI squad for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka happening later this month. The duo, though, are not a part of the T20I squad to be captained by Sikandar Raza.

Craig Ervine is back to lead the ODI side after missing the home series against Ireland in December due to injury, but Sean Williams has failed to fully recover in time to make it to Sri Lanka. Mufudza, the 33-year-old off-spinner, has been rewarded with an ODI call-up for his consistent top performances on the domestic scene.

In 72 List A games, he has taken 105 wickets at an average of 23.58 and economy rate of 4.19, including four four-wicket haul and one fifer. Akram, who has only featured for Zimbabwe in the T20I format, is also in line to make his ODI debut.

Besides Akram, four other players who came into the national side for the Ireland series – Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Milton Shumba and Tony Munyonga – have been retained for the ODIs in Sri Lanka.

However, there will be three changes to the squad for the T20I series, with Brian Bennett, Ainsley Ndlovu and Carl Mumba coming in to replace Kaitano, Mufudza and Akram.

Zimbabwe will be counting on the experience of all-rounders Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl as well as the pace duo of Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani as they seek to upset the hosts.

Zimbabwe will be playing their entire matches in Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The tour will begin with three ODIs on January 6, 8 and 11, followed by as many T20Is on January 14, 16 and 18.

Zimbabwe ODI squad: Craig Ervine (c), Faraz Akram, Ryan Burl, Joylord Gumbie, Luke Jongwe, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Tapiwa Mufudza, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba

Zimbabwe T20I squad: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Craig Ervine, Joylord Gumbie, Luke Jongwe, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Carl Mumba, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Ainsley Ndlovu, Richard Ngarava, Milton Shumba