Zimbabwe Test captain Richard Ngarava has declared himself fit and ready to lead his side in tomorrow’s one-off Test against Bangladesh at Harare Sports Club.
The left-arm seamer walks out to the field for the first time as Chevrons Test skipper since his appointment in December. He said the honour of captaining his country for the first time fills him with excitement and a deep sense of responsibility.
Ngarava, who is set to become Zimbabwe’s first Test captain from their pace-bowling ranks in recent memory, said his body had responded well to treatment ahead of the match.
"The body is holding up nicely. I put a good load of stuff in with the physio itself," Ngarava said at Saturday’s pre-Test press conference at Harare Sports Club.
The left-arm seamer said he was fully aware of the weight of the occasion but was embracing it.
"I feel honoured. And I’m very happy and excited to be given the captaincy. And of course, this is something I want to take on as a real responsibility. I look forward to what’s ahead," he said.
"Now it’s my time to get the team forward and get as many good results as possible".
With the Test being played at the team’s fortress, Ngarava said he was eager to make the most of familiar conditions, while also targeting a strong personal contribution with the ball.
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"Home is always the best. Hopefully I can get many more wickets—not only for me, but for Zimbabwe and for the rest of the team as well," he said.
The skipper said he intended to keep the team grounded in the present moment rather than getting ahead of themselves, and stressed that the collective attitude of the squad would be the key factor.
"Staying in the present moment is what you always want to do—whatever opportunity you get," Ngarava said.
"The approach is going to be around the attitude which every member in the team is going to bring. It’s not about me; it’s about them".
Ngarava said Zimbabwe carried positive momentum into the match and had the squad depth to be competitive, with a blend of experience and fresh faces in the lineup.
"Coming from a good sort of positivity, we want to carry the momentum forward with the team. Our team is balanced," he added.
"We do have quite a lot of guys who are quite experienced in that. And the guys who are just coming into this one, it’s more to give balance to the team. I think we’ve got a strong squad".
The captain saved his final words for Zimbabwe’s supporters, sending an emotional message ahead of what promises to be a fiercely contested encounter.
"Through the ups and downs, thank you guys for being there for us. We’ll give our absolute best to make sure we put more smiles on your faces," Ngarava said.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, meanwhile, said his side expected a challenging contest but backed their batting and bowling units to rise to the occasion.
"Batting-wise, it will be challenging with the new ball. I felt that there will be some extra bounce. But we have that batting ability," Shanto said.
"If the bowlers bowl in the right areas, it will be challenging for the batter. We need to play good cricket as a bowling unit and as a batting unit".
The one-off Test between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh gets underway at Harare Sports Club this morning at 9.30am.
