Harare, Sep 10 (IANS) Zimbabwe received a big boost ahead of their historic five-match T20I series against South Africa as skipper Josephine Nkomo is declared fit and has returned to lead the team, the Zimbabwe Cricket Board announced on Thursday.
Nkomo missed the white-ball tour of Pakistan in May due to injury, but she has recovered well in the three months' time and is ready to lead the 17-member squad, with veteran batter Sharone Mayers also returning to the side after being sidelined from the team for two years. Mayers has represented Zimbabwe in 33 T20Is.
All-rounder Nyasha Gwanzura is also back in the squad, while experienced members of the side, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Modester Mupachikwa, Loreen Tshuma and Loryn Phiri, have retained their places after a decent outing in the Pakistan series.
The squad also includes three players who featured for Zimbabwe at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 1 in Dar es Salaam last week, including captain Lorraine Pemhiwa, Beloved Biza and Christina Mutasa, who will get an opportunity to showcase their talent on the bigger stage.
The series will be the first assignment for Mark Coles as Zimbabwe's women's head coach following his appointment earlier this week. The experienced New Zealand coach brings extensive international coaching and high-performance experience to the role, having previously served as head coach of both the Pakistan and Scotland women's national sides.
Zimbabwe will return to home action for the first time since hosting the United Arab Emirates in a bilateral series at Queens Sports Club in September and October 2025.
The series gets underway on Friday, 11 September, at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, with the remaining matches to be played at the same venue on 13, 15, 17 and 19 September.
Zimbabwe squad :
Josephine Nkomo (Captain), Beloved Biza, Kudzai Chigora, Francesca Chipare, Nyasha Gwanzura, Lindokuhle Mabhera, Tendai Makusha, Michelle Mavunga, Sharne Mayers, Modester Mupachikwa, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Christina Mutasa, Kelis Ndhlovu, Lorraine Pemhiwa, Loryn Phiri, Nomvelo Sibanda, Loreen Tshuma
--IANS
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