Sikandar Raza has been named captain for Zimbabwe’s white-ball squads during their upcoming month-long tour of the United Arab Emirates, which spans from October 17 to November 17. Raza takes over the ODI leadership duties due to the continued absence of Richard Ngarava, who remains sidelined by a back injury. The tour schedule is packed with an ODI tri-series against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, followed by three T20Is and two Test matches against Afghanistan.
The ODI squad selection closely mirrors the group that played against Australia last month, though there are notable inclusions. Tafadzwa Tsiga and Vincent Masekesa have been called up to replace Innocent Kaia and Graeme Cremer, with both new additions in contention to make their international debuts across the white-ball formats. Meanwhile, Kaia is working through a thigh strain and is currently expected to return for the T20I leg of the tour. Kundai Matigimu has been named as a replacement for Brad Evans specifically for the third T20I clash.
Zimbabwe’s campaign kicks off with an ODI tri-series opener against Bangladesh on October 17, followed by a match against Afghanistan on October 19. The round-robin stage concludes when Afghanistan faces Bangladesh on October 21, with the top two teams moving on to the final on October 23. Following the ODIs, the teams will play a T20I series on October 27, October 29, and November 1.
The batting lineup features veteran experience from Raza, Craig Ervine, and Brendan Taylor, supported by younger prospects including Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, and Tadiwanashe Marumani. The bowling unit is led by Blessing Muzarabani, alongside pace bowlers Brad Evans, Ernest Masuku, and Newman Nyamhuri, with Wellington Masakadza and Masekesa providing spin options. The tour will conclude with a two-match Test series against Afghanistan, set for November 5–9 and November 13–17.
