Into the valley of death

Dion Ebrahim: dismissed reports that he was about to join the rebels © Getty Images

As if the backdrop of virtual civil war within the cricketing establishment wasn't enough to undermine Zimbabwe's morale ahead of the first one-dayer against Sri Lanka at Bulawayo on Tuesday (0730 GMT), the Zimbabwe XI will be one of the least experienced - and inadequate - ever to have played an international game.

Opinion will be divided between those who want to see the side - which is now clearly identified by many with the pro-government Zimbabwe board - crushed, and those who hope that they escape with some semblance of respectability. The only issue not in doubt is the outcome.

On Saturday, three of the new-look side - Dion Ebrahim, Mluleki Nkala and Doug Hondo - were thought to be about to join the exiled rebels, but a ZCU press release quashed that rumour. "In response to various reports from the media, local newspapers and the BBC," read a joint statement from the players, "we the undersigned have no intention of boycotting or pulling out of the squad. We are proud to be selected and will fulfil our commitment to Zimbabwe cricket."

But Ebrahim, whom it was clarified is not related to the selector, Max Ebrahim, admitted that the turmoil had taken its toll. "The problem is that neither the union nor the players who have gone on strike have been in contact with the other players. We've been left in the dark and that's been very frustrating because we're all trying to make some sense of all this."

The size of the task facing Zimbabwe is highlighted by the fact that their squad contains only three players who could be considered experienced - Ebrahim, Hondo and Tatenda Taibu, the newly-appointed captain. There are another five with limited international exposure, and six youngsters with no experience at all other than the recent Under-19 World Cup.

Even with a full side, Zimbabwe - who were taken to the wire by Bangladesh last month - would struggle to compete with a Sri Lankan team packed with individuals who have on their own played more matches than the combined total of the Zimbabwe squad. Sanath Jayasuriya has played in 313 matches, Chaminda Vaas 232 and Muttiah Muralitharan 229. Zimbabwe's most experienced player is Taibu with 54.

Sri Lanka's preparations were slightly hampered by some of their luggage going missing between Johannesburg and Bulawayo, and they completed most of their fielding exercises in bare feet.

The pitch is expected to favour batsmen, and not even the weather, which washed out both games scheduled against Bangladesh in Bulawayo, is expected to come to Zimbabwe's aid. It promises to be the most one-sided encounter since the Charge of the Light Brigade - and about as pointless.

Zimbabwe 1 Tatenda Taibu (capt and wk), 2 Dion Ebrahim, 3 Vusimuzi Sibanda, 4 Elton Chigumbura, 5 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 6 Alester Maregwede, 7 Mluleki Nkala, 8 Brendon Taylor, 9 Douglas Hondo, 10 Prosper Utseya, 11 Tinashe Panyangara.

Sri Lanka (from): Marvan Atapattu (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Saman Jayantha, Thilina Kandamby, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Upul Chandana, Rangana Herath.