The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket are keen on retaining the bulk of the current national Under 19 squad ahead of the 2018 World Cup for that age group to be held in New Zealand.
The Under 19s have just completed their tour of Namibia and are now in Benoni, South Africa for the Under-17 Week which starts today and ends on Thursday.
One of the outstanding players from the trip to Namibia was Trent Jayden Schadendorf, an all rounder who bats up the order and is also a pace bowler. Schadendorf slammed back to back centuries, both in a successful cause as Zimbabwe defeated Namibia. The tour to Namibia, made up of two Twenty20 fixtures and five 50 over contests ended last Friday.
Schadendorf just finished his upper six at Saint John’s College in Harare and just like many talented players before him, there are fears he could be lost from the system as he might be heading off to further his studies in neighbouring South Africa or abroad.
ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said they will try by all means to hold on to Schadendorf as well as other up and coming talent. Mukuhlani pointed out that ZC have invested a lot in the youngsters, something he feels ZC must be commended for.
He made it clear that the players on tour in South Africa are part of the bigger plans for the 2019 World Cup in New Zealand.
Mukuhlani is convinced that coach Stephen Mangongo is doing a wonderful job with the team.
“What people don’t focus on the positive first, they must acknowledge the good work. We will keep them of course, we are investing a lot in these kids. This is our World Cup squad, we plan to have that programme continually, I think Mangongo is doing a good job with them,’’ said Mukuhlani.
Besides Schadendorf, the other players from the Under-19 squad who showed great promise on the Namibia tour are wicketkeeper Daniel Zvidzai, captain Milton Shumba and pace bowler Dion Mazhawidza.
The bulk of the players in the current squad are youngsters with Shumba only 16 years old which means Mangongo can plan ahead for New Zealand with these players.
Prior to the visits to Namibia as well as South Africa, Zimbabwe Under-19s toured Malaysia in August for 50 over and Twenty20 matches against a Malaysia Cricket Association President’s Eleven.
Mangongo made a bold move of selecting a young team which included Shumba for the Africa Twenty20 semifinals clash against Eastern Province staged in Oudtshoorn in September, a contest Zimbabwe lost by 76 runs. The coach also took a number of players who were part of his Under-19 squad for the 2016 World Cup in Bangladesh for this year’s Africa Cup in South Africa.
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