Zimbabwe are touring Ireland to participate in a historical One Off Test match, starting from the 25th of July at the Stormont Ground in Belfast, Ireland.
Ireland are hosting a Test match after nearly 7 years and all of the support staff and team members are excited to show what mettle they are made of, when it comes to the red ball cricket.
Both Zimbabwe and Ireland are relatively new to the red ball game. However, both have had chances to experience this level without much success though. Zimbabwe lost their last One Off Test against West Indies by 1-0 while Ireland had lost the away Test series against Bangladesh recently.
However, Ireland surprised the world by beating Afghanistan in a One off Test, played in UAE this March.
Zimbabwe will be led by the experienced Craig Ervine. The squad will also be featuring veterans like Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Tendai Chatara. They have also included the in-form players like Clive Madande, Joylord Gumbie, Brian Bennett and Johnathan Campbell in their squad.
Ireland on the other hand will be led by Andrew Balbirnie. Experienced players like Mark Adair, Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher and Paul Stirling are a part of the squad. They have also added yougsters like Matthew Humphreys and Gavin Hoey in their squad.
Andrew White, the National Men’s Team selector was very excited about the additions of new members in the squad and Ireland’s journey in Red Ball cricket. He stated, “Humphreys made his Test debut in Sri Lanka and found the going difficult against good players of spin out in the subcontinent. He’d admit himself that he went through a period of a loss of form and maybe a loss of confidence, but he’s worked extremely hard to come back into the reckoning“.
He added, “Hoey is a talented leg spinner, and his ability to spin the ball both ways gives us a strong wicket-taking option. Again, he’s a player that’s been on the radar for a while and can play across all three formats“.
Zimbabwe are fresh off a competitive performance against India at home and they are likely to give a tough competition to the home team. However, considering the current form of Ireland in Red Ball cricket and also home conditions, the hosts will start as favorites for the One off Test.
Let’s have a look at the squads:
Zimbabwe
Craig Ervine (c), Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Tanaka Chivanga, Joylord Gumbie, Roy Kaia, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Prince Masvaure, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Sean Williams
Ireland
Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gavin Hoey, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, James McCollum, PJ Moor, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young
Fixtures
July 25 to July 29:
One Off Test Match – Ireland vs Zimbabwe
Stormont Ground in Belfast, Ireland
Where to watch Zimbabwe Tour of Ireland:
Live Cricket Streaming Zimbabwe Tour of Ireland 2024: The live cricket streaming page which enables you to watch live cricket – Geo-restrictions apply
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