Ballance named in depleted Zimbabwe squad for West Indies Tests

Zimbabwe have named Gary Ballance in their squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies, starting on Saturday (February 4) at the Queens Sports Club. 

The left-handed batter recently featured in the T20I and ODI series against Ireland last month but hasn’t played Test cricket since July 2017.

Craig Ervine will lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Sean Williams, who has been sidelined with a fractured finger. 

Zimbabwe will also be without their two premier spin-bowling allrounders Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl who are currently fulfilling their franchise commitments. Meanwhile, seamers Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani are yet to recover from their injuries.

Tafadzwa Tsiga, Joylord Gumbie, Kudzai Maunze and Tanunurwa Makoni are the uncapped players in the squad, while Innocent Kaia, Bradley Evans and Tanaka Chivanga have already played white-ball cricket for Zimbabwe but are yet to feature in the red-ball format.

Ballance played 23 Tests for England, scoring 1498 runs at an average of 37.45, studded with four centuries and seven fifties. 

Squad: Gary Ballance, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Tanaka Chivanga, Craig Ervine (c), Bradley Evans, Joylord Gumbie, Innocent Kaia, Tanunurwa Makoni, Wellington Masakadza, Kudzai Maunze, Brandon Mavuta, Richard Ngarava, Victor Nyauchi, Milton Shumba, Donald Tiripano, Tafadzwa Tsiga.