KOLKATA – Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura said Sunday that his country’s return to Test cricket after a six-year absence would help the players become more competitive. Zimbabwe, who played their last Test in 2005 against India, are set to face Bangladesh in August followed by matches against Pakistan and New Zealand.
“The next three months are going to be very important for us. We are all excited about playing Test cricket and we know it is going to improve us as players,” Chigumbura said after his team’s emphatic World Cup win over Kenya.
“We have to put in hard work in the coming three months. We know where we are and what we need to do before we start our first game.” Coach Alan Butcher Saturday admitted the team would face a steep learning curve. “No doubt you might be wondering if we are going to be up for the challenge and the answer to that, honestly, is probably ‘no’.”
He said Zimbabwe would face a similar challenge to that of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who both had a tough baptism in Test cricket. “The only place to learn to play Test cricket is actually by doing that. There is no other place that can prepare you for that.”
