Zimbabwe recall Taylor for Test series against Pakistan

Brendan Taylor

Zimbabwe have recalled batsman Brendan Taylor and picked five uncapped players in their 16-man squad for the two-Test series against Pakistan that starts at the Harare Sports Club on Thursday. Taylor did not feature in Zimbabwe’s previous series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates due to ill health, but provides some much needed experience, especially in the absence of middle-order batsman Craig Ervine, who has a calf injury. Pakistan-born all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who has also been a stalwart of the middle order in recent years, misses out as he receives treatment for a bone marrow infection. The five uncapped players are all-rounders Luke Jongwe and Roy Kaia, left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava, top-order batsman Milton Shumba and fast bowler Tanaka Chivanga, who at the age of 27 has only played three first class matches to date. The first test will start on Thursday, with the second scheduled for May 7-11 at the same venue. Squad: Sean Williams (captain), Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chisoro, Tanaka Chivanga, Luke Jongwe, Roy Kaia, Kevin Kasuza, Wellington Masakadza, Prince Masvaure, Tarisai Musakanda, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Milton Shumba, Brendan Taylor, Donald Tiripano. South African cricket ‘averts’ crisis South African cricket stepped back from the brink of an international crisis when officials announced late Sunday evening that the differences between the two rival factions battling for governance of the game had been resolved. In a joint statement issued shortly before midnight, Cricket South Africa’s members’ council and interim board announced that agreement had been reached on a new governance model. The agreement came two days after the country’s sports minister Nathi Mthethwa gave notice that he would withdraw recognition of Cricket South Africa, a move which could have resulted in CSA being suspended from the International Cricket Council. According to the statement, a meeting of CSA’s two factions resolved that a new memorandum of incorporation would be adopted within 48 hours in terms of South Africa’s Companies Act. “The members’ council and the board are very pleased to announce that a crisis has been averted and agreement has been reached on all those outstanding issues,” said the joint statement. Mthethwa’s threat, which was due to be made official on Friday, followed the failure of the members’ council to endorse the principle of a board comprised of a majority of independent directors at a special general meeting on April 17. Sunday’s statement said details of the new governance structure would be made public when the legal process had been completed.ICC names qualified teams for 2022 Commonwealth Games Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and England have all qualified for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England as cricket returns to the event next year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said. Women’s cricket will feature at the Games for the first time, and cricket for the second time, after a men’s one-day international (ODI) competition, which was staged in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, was won by South Africa. Athletes from the Caribbean represent their individual countries at the Games and a qualifying tournament for those nations will decide which team takes West Indies’ spot. The final place in the tournament will be allocated to the winners of a qualifying event to be held by Jan. 31, 2022. “Cricket is a sport that is synonymous with the Commonwealth and we are so excited to have it back in the Games for the first time since the men’s competition at Kuala Lumpur,” Commonwealth Games Federation President Dame Louise Martin said. “The debut of women’s T20 cricket will be a historic moment for Commonwealth Sport and a wonderful showcase for women’s sport across the world.” The 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will attract 4,500 athletes from 72 nations and territories, is scheduled to run from July 28-Aug. 8 next year.