Mehluli Sibanda

Senior Sports Reporter

FORMER Zimbabwe senior national cricket team bowler Tawanda Mupariwa has been handed an opportunity to revive his international cricket career after he was recently named in the Zimbabwe A squad to play against visiting Sri Lanka A and South Africa A at Harare Sports Club next month.

Mupariwa has been named in a 22 man squad for the triangular 50 overs matches and this presents him with a chance to fight his way back into the national team. The 27-year-old last played for the national team against Bangladesh in August 2009 at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

A medium pace bowler who is always lucky when it comes to taking wickets, Mupariwa has vowed to fight his way back into the national team after three years in the wilderness in which he has been confined to being a franchise player for Matabeleland Tuskers.

Mupariwa missed the bulk of last season and missed all of Tuskers’ Castle Lager Logan Cup fixtures as the Bulawayo based franchise retained the country’s premier domestic first class competition. Mupariwa recovered towards the end of the season and played in three Coca-Cola Pro50 Championships where Tuskers failed to make it to the final.

It is not the first time that  Mupariwa has had to prove himself to the national selectors.

In 2004, after being left out of the Zimbabwean squad for the International Cricket Council Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, Mupariwa took 16 wickets in just three Logan Cup matches for Matabeleland, which saw him selected for the national team for the Sri Lanka tour of Zimbabwe.

Mupariwa has represented the country in one Test, 35 One-Day Internationals and four Twenty20 Internationals.

In 2008, Mupariwa became the fastest Zimbabwean bowler to get 50 ODI wickets, getting to the mark in 28 matches.

Fast bowler Glenn Querl who made an impressive start to his first class career with Tuskers last season has also been called up to the Zimbabwe A side together with his Tuskers teammates Craig Ervine, Njabulo Ncube, Gavin Ewing and off spinner John Nyumbu.

Off spinning all rounder Gregory Lamb is also back in the fray after picking up a shoulder injury before Zimbabwe took on New Zealand in the only Test at Queens Sports Club in November last year.

Captained by opening batsman Tinotenda Mawoyo, Zimbabwe’s second string side will clash with Sri Lanka A and South Africa A from 11 to 22 July.

Zimbabwe A squad: Tinotenda Mawoyo (captain), Craig Ervine, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Forster Mutizwa, Razza Butt, Richmond Mutumbami, Odicious Manje, Tendai Chatara, Njabulo Ncube, Glenn Querl, Richard Muzhange, Tawanda Mupariwa, Tendai Manatsa, Shingirai Masakadza, John Nyumbu, Hillary Matanga, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Natsai Mushangwe, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Gavin Ewing, Gregory Lamb, Regis Chakabva.