Zimbabwe have recalled Sean Williams and Cephas Zhuwao for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will take place in Bulawayo and Harare from 4 to 25 March.
Williams and Zhuwao were not named in the initial 15-player squad, but have been included in place of Ryan Burl and Tarisai Musakanda following the tour of Sharjah where Zimbabwe lost the five-match series against Afghanistan 4-1.
Williams, the 31-year-old left-arm spinner and middle-order batsman, last played in an ODI in July 2017 against Sri Lanka in Hambantota. In 111 ODIs since February 2005, Williams has scored 2,947 runs and taken 52 wickets.
Zhuwao, who is a 33-year-old left-handed opener, played in his only ODI a decade ago, when he featured against Ireland in Nairobi in October 2008, scoring 16 off 20 balls with three fours.
Zimbabwe are in Group B along with Afghanistan, Nepal, Scotland and Hong Kong, and will open their campaign against Nepal at the Queens Sports Club on 4 March.
The teams can make changes to their squads without needing an ICC approval until 25 February. All player replacement requests from 25 February onwards will require the approval of the Event Technical Committee.
ZIMBABWE: Graeme Cremer (captain), Tendai Chatara, Tendai Chisoro, Craig Ervine, Kyle Jarvis, Hamilton Masakadza, Solomon Mire, Peter Moor, Blessing Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams and Cephas Zhuwao. Heath Streak (coach)
ABOUT THE ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
- The tournament started in 1979 and was known as the ICC Trophy until 2005
- Four Test sides, Bangladesh (1997), Ireland (2009), Sri Lanka (1979), and Zimbabwe (1982, 1986 and 1990), have previously won the tournament. Other winners are the Netherlands (2001), Scotland (2005 and 2014) and the United Arab Emirates (1994)
- The Netherlands and Papua New Guinea are the only sides who have featured in all tournaments since 1979
- For the 2018 event, the Windies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and United Arab Emirates make up Group A, while Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Nepal form Group B.
- Each side will play the other teams in their group once with the top three from the groups progressing to the Super Six stage.
- The teams each play three Super Six matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage. All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.
- The finalists will both progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, whilst the Netherlands (ICC World Cricket League Championship winners) and the three highest finishing associate Members will earn ODI status for the next four years till 2022.
