Zimbabwe is set to take on the Kiwis who will jet into the country on Wednesday for two Twenty20 matches, three ODIs and a one off Test match.Utseya tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Laura Chipiningu at Leopard Rock in Vumba Mountain, just outside Mutare last Saturday, but put on hold his honeymoon until the end of the tour.
“The honeymoon will wait for now. With these national team games, we have decided to put it on hold. We will only be able to do that after the New Zealand tour,” he said.
The Zimbabwe training squad goes into camp tomorrow, but the 26-year-old off-spinner however said they would have hoped for better preparations.“It is always better to have more time in camp. However, we have to manage with what we have,” he said.
“With the domestic season currently taking place, I do not think there is a way the players can be in camp for a longer period. As one of the senior players, we have to lead the youngsters all the way. New Zealand is obviously tougher than Bangladesh. We will have to rely more on our pace bowlers in this tour.
“We played very well against Bangladesh, but did not do that well against Pakistan. We have to improve on that performance,” he said. Zimbabwe’s pace bowlers Kyle Jarvis and Brian Vitori were the pick of bowlers in the past matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The New Zealand team is expected in the country on Wednesday for the tour which marks the end of the country’s fixtures for the 2011 season. Zimbabwe marked their return to Test cricket with a 130 run victory over a relatively weaker Bangladesh and then followed up with a 3-2 victory in ODI games.
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However, they found the going tough when faced with Pakistan who won the one off Test match by seven wickets, a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI games and the two Twenty20 games.
Zimbabwe training squad Brandon Taylor (Captain), Regis Chakabva, Chamu Chibhabha, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Prosper Utseya, Tatenda Taibu, Charles Coventry, Chris Mpofu, Natsai Mushangwe, Forster Mtizwa, Njabulo Ndlovu, Raymond Price, Vusi Sibanda, Brian Vitori, Keegan Meth, Shingi Masakadza, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Cephas Zhuwawo.
ItineraryOctober 15 1st T20 match (Harare Sports Club)October 17 2nd T20 match (Harare Sports Club)October 20 1st ODI match (Harare Sports Club) October 22 2nd ODI match (Harare Sports club) October 25 3rd ODI match (Queens Sports Club) BulawayoOctober 28 – 29 Zimbabwe XI v New Zealanders (Queens Sports Club) BulawayoNovember 1–November 5 Only Test (Queens Sports Club) Bulawayo
