BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) director of cricket Hamilton Masakadza has tipped the experienced national Under-19 team star duo of Milton Shumba and Wesley Madhevere to make an impact at the 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup which will be played in South Africa from January 17 to February 9.
The youthful pair are the most experienced players in the talent-laden World Cup-bound Zimbabwe Under-19 squad as they are both making their third appearances in the youth global showpiece.
On Friday the rising young stars showed a glimpse of what to expect when they starred with both bat and ball during Zimbabwe’s two-run loss to New Zealand in a quadrangular Under-19 series match in Durban.
Masakadza, who himself featured in two ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cups in 2000 and 2002 before going on to enjoy a glittering international career at senior level until his retirement three months ago, warned rival teams to watch out for the talented pair of Madhevere and Shumba.
“Playing in two Under-19 World Cups are some of my fondest memories – but watch out for two of our boys who are playing their third this time round [Milton Shumba and Wesley Madhevere],” Masakadza said in a wide-ranging interview with the ICC ahead of the start of the tournament.
“Winning the plate championship in 2002 in New Zealand, which was my second and last appearance at the tournament, was particularly special.”
For Masakadza, one of the longest-serving players in Zimbabwe cricket history following an international career spanning 18 years, the Under-19 World Cup played a key role in shaping his career.
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“Playing in the Under-19 World Cup was huge for my career, as it pitted me against some of the best players in the world for the first time and helped me realise how much work I needed to put in and what I needed to do if I was ever to dream about playing and surviving at the highest level.
“It is also a springboard to the national team and a huge opportunity to showcase what you can do at the world stage.
“You meet and play against some of your ‘lifetime’ competitors for the first time and a lot of career-long rivalries are birthed here. Lifelong friendships also start here, which for me is a very big part of playing this game.”
Masakadza, who played 38 Test matches and 209 One-Day Internationals for Zimbabwe, also offered some words of wisdom to those competing this year in a tournament he holds so dear.
He said: “Go out and represent your countries with pride, embrace and enjoy the moment.
“It is a big achievement to have made it this far. Play hard, play to win, but it’s not about winning at all costs. Play fair, show good sportsmanship and above all keep the game of cricket clean.”
The Zimbabwe team is currently in Durban where they are taking part in a quadrangular series against hosts South Africa, India and New Zealand in preparation for the World Cup.
After suffering a narrow two-run defeat in their opening match against New Zealand on Friday, the Zimbabwe team will be hoping to bounce back by putting on a good performance against reigning World Cup champions India at Kingsmead Cricket Ground today.
Zimbabwe will also play their South African counterparts at the same venue on Tuesday ahead of the quadrangular series’ final and third place playoff matches which will both be held on Thursday.
After the conclusion of the four-nation series, the Prosper Utseya-coached Zimbabwe Under-19 team will play two official warm-up matches against England in Johannesburg on January 12 and India in Pretoria two days later.
Zimbabwe have been drawn to play against Bangladesh, Pakistan and Scotland in the pool stages of the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
The top two teams from each of the four groups at the tournament will advance to the Super League, while the remaining teams will feature in the Plate championship.
Zimbabwe squad for ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup: Dion Myers (captain), Wesley Madhevere (vice-captain), Emmanuel Bawa, Privilege Chesa, Gareth Chirawu, Ahomed Rameez Ebrahim, Dylan Grant, Brandon James, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tadiwanashe Nyangani, Luke Oldknow, Samuel Ruwisi, Dane Schadendorf, Milton Shumba, Taurayi Tugwete Non-travelling reserves: Brighton Chapungu, Nkosilathi Nungu, Rodney Mufudza, Kudakwashe Macheka, Matthew Welch.
