Zimbabwe to fine-tune preparation for England Test with warm-up match in Leicester

Leicester, May 15 Zimbabwe will step up their preparations for next week’s landmark Test against England with a four-day warm-up match against a Professional County Club (PCC) Select XI, starting Thursday at the Uptonsteel County Ground in Leicester.

The tour match is the visitors’ only fixture ahead of their much-anticipated return to Test cricket on English soil for the first time since 2003. The one-off Test at Trent Bridge, scheduled for 22-25 May, marks a historic chapter in the team’s red-ball journey.

For Zimbabwe, the warm-up match represents a crucial opportunity to acclimatise to English conditions ahead of the highly anticipated encounter.

“Look, there’s a few things that we’re really looking forward to getting out of this match,” Zimbabwe assistant coach Dion Ebrahim said after the team’s third day of training in Leicester.

“One is getting further accustomed to the conditions, of both here in England and the pitch conditions. So it’s a chance for both our bowlers and our batsmen to spend out in the middle, with the new Dukes ball . . .”

Ebrahim underscored the importance of refining Zimbabwe’s game plan ahead of the Trent Bridge showdown.

“It’s also for, I guess, all the players to start really narrowing and solidifying what their game plans will look like as we hit England,” he said.

“It’s like it’s part and parcel of being an international cricketer – so the need to be able to adjust and adapt to different conditions is a necessity.

“So rather than, I guess, create too many demons around it, it is what it is. We’ve got to find the tools and the strategies to overcome the differences.

“And, look, it’s not something that’s too foreign. It’s just ensuring that we’re able to narrow our basics and be able to do them for a long period.”

Ebrahim also spoke about the broader significance of Zimbabwe’s return to Test cricket in England, describing it as a chance to reclaim their place on the global stage.

“Every international series is usually important, and the fact that we get to play England after such a long break is super special in that respect,” he said.

“It’s important also for us as a nation that’s trying to claw our way back up the rankings in Test cricket to start performing against the top teams and showing both individually and as a collective how good we really are.”

Led by Craig Ervine, Zimbabwe’s squad blends seasoned campaigners such as Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Blessing Muzarabani with exciting newcomers like Ben Curran, Wessly Madhevere and Brian Bennett. The PCC Select XI, captained by Middlesex all-rounder Josh De Caires, features a mix of promising county players from across the English domestic scene, including Dan Mousley, Thomas Rew and Luc Benkenstein.

Zimbabwe Test squad: Craig Ervine (captain), Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Victor Nyauchi, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Nicholas Welch, Sean Williams.

PCC Select XI squad: Josh De Caires (captain), Archie Bailey, Luc Benkenstein, Jafer Chohan, Ben Dawkins, Alex Green, Eddie Jack, Mitch Killeen, Ben Mayes, Seb Morgan, Dan Mousley, Thomas Rew, Jamal Richards.

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