Injured Cremer, Jongwe, Madziva out of World T20

Zimbabwe legspinner Graeme Cremer and pacers Luke Jongwe and Neville Madziva have been ruled out of the World TwentyT20 after they sustained injuries during practice matches in the UAE, according to Zimbabwe Cricket. Their replacements in the squad are allrounder Chamu Chibhabha, fast bowler Tawanda Mupariwa and Donald Tiripano, who was on the stand-by list when the team for India was first announced. Chibhabha and Tiripano were with the team in the UAE for the practice matches.

Cremer suffered a fracture in his left forearm while batting in the first practice match against West Indies in Sharjah on Saturday. In the same match, Madziva hurt his right thumb while attempting a return catch.

Jongwe, meanwhile, injured himself while attempting a return catch against Sharjah Cricket Club on Tuesday. Having been hit on the right eye, Jongwe has been advised three-four weeks of rest by a neurosurgeon, to give the injury time to heal.

Mupariwa played his last T20I match in October 2008, while his last international game for Zimbabwe was during the tour of Pakistan in May 2015. Both Tiripano and Chibhabha last played for Zimbabwe against Afghanistan in January. Chibhabha was a part of the squad for Bangladesh but did not get a game in the four-match T20I series.

Zimbabwe are in Group B of the first round in the World T20, along with Afghanistan, Scotland and Hong Kong. They will play their first match against Hong Kong in Nagpur on March 8. The top team in Group B will join England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies in Group 1 of the Super 10s stage.