Cricket matches to give ICC World Cup 2019 publicity

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BY JAMES MUONWA

Zimbabwe Cricket's head of cricket affairs, Givemore Makoni, has said the International Cricket Council (ICC) Word Cup Qualifiers 2018 matches, which are being hosted locally, were meant to fundraise for Team Zimbabwe and also to advertise next year's World Cup tournament.

The matches will be hosted in Harare, Bulawayo and Kwekwe.

A golf event is also pencilled to up the tempo and publicise the cricket World Cup.

Makoni said the golf tournament is a platform to raise awareness, engage the corporate world and the public on the World Cup blitz.

"Some of the cricket players will also participate in the tourney, as it has been made as a platform for the public to mingle with the cricket staff on the course and also to raise funds for the ICC qualifiers and other events.

"The tourney is meant to raise awareness to the general public and corporate world so that they will be aware of what is taking place in the world of cricket," Makoni said.

Makoni reiterated preparations for the 2018 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers scheduled for 4-25 March were at an advanced stage and all is set for the big event.

 "Most of the facilities are almost ready as well as the practising and playing pitches. We are almost done as we are now only left with finalising the finer aspects of the preparations," he said.

Zimbabwe are in Group B, together with Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Nepal and Scotland. Group A has the West Indies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and United Arab Emirates.

The Windies were the first team to arrive for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 in Zimbabwe last Sunday. They were followed by Zimbabwe and Afghanistan on Tuesday following the completion of their final leg of preparations in Dubai, where they played two T20s and five ODIs.

The 10 nations will descend on Zimbabwe to take part in the competition for the two slots available for next year's World Cup to be hosted by England and Wales. Hamilton Masakadza, who has scored more than 5 000 runs in ODI cricket, is one of the pillars of the Chevrons team.

Chevrons captain, Graeme Cremer said the tourney would not be a walk in the park, but emphasised that the home conditions could give them the edge.-SPORTS