Chibhabha to lead Zimbabwean women

Julia Chibhabha has been chosen as the first Zimbabwe women's captain, Zimbabwe Cricket has confirmed. The appointment was widely expected and means that Chibhabha, the Mashonaland allrounder, will lead a young side in their first ever ICC cricket series in Nairobi next month. They will play a series of World Cup Qualifiers against sides including Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Chibhabha is also the first women's player to be contracted as a coach by Zimbabwe Cricket after she recently attained a Level 1 qualification. Her romance with cricket started way back in 1999 in the humble yet bustling high-density suburb of Highfields at the Takashinga cricket club, where the likes of Taitenda Taibu and Henry Olonga plied their trade.

"It is really a great honour for me to lead the women's team to this daunting challenge in Kenya," said Chibhabha. "We never thought all our efforts as female cricketers would one day lead to this momentous occasion and we are all truly overwhelmed.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank our coach Emmanuel Dube who has stuck by us throughout this arduous journey and Joyce Chizano the team manager who has always been there with a word of advice. Our newly-appointed fitness trainer Lorraine Chivandire and physiotherapist Talent Twamba have both had a torrid time in the run up to this tour."

A couple of warm-up matches against the Zimbabwean national colts sides have been lined up before their squad's departure for Nairobi, where they will play the ICC World Cup qualifiers early next month.