ZIMBABWE senior men’s cricket team left for Bangladesh, Wednesday, to participate in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament.
Zimbabwe’s preparations for the world tourney were disturbed by the salary impasse as players staged a series of boycotts.
The domestic league which acts as a feeder to the national team has been dormant for more than two months following the cricket governing body’s failure to pay salaries and match fees.
Zimbabwe cricket players will need to put their problems aside and focus on the matches when they play associate sides like Ireland, Holland and United Arab Emirates.
Zimbabwe open their account with Ireland on March 17 before they play Netherlands two days later.
They close their Group B account with a match against the United Arab Emirates.
Two warm up matches are also lined up where Zimbabwe will conclude their training.
They play against Hong Kong on March 12 and play Afghanistan two days later.
Brendan Taylor will captain the Zimbabwe side and he is one of the stalwarts of the Zimbabwe team with vast experience.
Vusi Sibanda, Malcom Waller, all-rounder Elton Chigumbura and the Masakadza siblings Hamilton and Shingi are expected to propel Zimbabwe.
Hard-hitting right handed batsman, Sikandar Raza Butt is another pearl in the offing for Zimbabwe.
The Pakistan born Raza is a rising star and has not disappointed on the crease.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Cricket top management have been fingered in a damning report where they are alleged to have misused an ICC loan.
Reports on the cricket website Cricinfo allege that a US$6 million loan from ICC was misused.
In December 2011, the ICC reportedly loaned the cricket board US$6 million with one rider: the money should be used to immediately retire ZC’s existing debt.
Instead, ZC deposited the money in a non-interest-bearing account with Metbank for more than five months.
Metbank would have benefited from the interest accruing on their high-interest loan to ZC, as well as from having ZC’s money in the non-interest-bearing account available to loan to third parties.
Zimbabwe squad: Sikandar Raza, Tendai Chatara, Elton Chigumbura, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingi Masakadza, Natsai M’shangwe, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor (capt), Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams
Technical Staff: Andy Waller (head coach), Steve Mangongo (assistant coach), Grant Flower (batting coach), Bond Nayoto (team manager), Stanley Chioza (performance analyst), Trevor Vambe (physiotherapist) and Walter Karimanzira (fitness trainer)
Non-travelling reserves: Chamu Chibhabha, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Tawanda Mupariwa, Forster Mutizwa, Tinotenda Mutombodzi.