World Champion India are touring Zimbabwe for the first time in eight years for a five-match T20I series. The tour got underway with Zimbabwe stunning Shubman Gill-led tourists in a low-scoring affair on Saturday in Harare.
Such a result, a couple of decades back. would have at most elicited a mild surprise with the then Zimbabwe squad brimming with talented players and the team regularly getting the best of traditional powerhouses.
However, they are now struggling to even qualify for global tournaments with the recent 2024 T20 World Cup being the one where Zimbabwe were the only full member nation not to participate.
Multiple reasons have led to Zimbabwe’s downfall including lack of talent but wicketkeeper-batter Clive Madande feels that if the cricketers from his country are given more opportunities to rub shoulders with world-class players in franchise tournaments namely IPL, it will attract younger generation towards the sport.
“If more of us get to play cricket in franchises, the game would obviously draw more young talent to it, which would be good for the game overall in the country,” Madande told The Indian Express.
Till date, only four Zimbabwean cricketers including Sikandar Raza, Ray Price, Tatenda Taibu and Brendon Taylor have featured in IPL.
Zimbabwe are hopeful that the current tour of India will attract the attention of IPL scouts and thus opening the doors to what is often claimed to be the most popular franchise tournament in the world.
India have sent a second-string squad to Zimbabwe with only three members of their world cup winning squad part of the tour. However, Madande feels that the current bunch has enough experienced thanks to IPL.
“You look at all their experience in the IPL, and you realise they are a strong team though some of the World Cup winners are not here. Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag, Jitesh Sharma, they are my favourites in the league,” he said.
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