Zimbabwe head for South African warm-up

Zimbabwe get an opportunity to play a competitive game ahead of their five-match one-day series against West Indies when they take on a South African franchise side in a four-day contest at Benoni on Thursday.

Zimbabwe had originally been scheduled to stay in Bulawayo from Monday up to Friday but that was discarded when Zimbabwe Cricket secured the four-day match. The 13-man squad leave Zimbabwe early Wednesday morning for Johannesburg and return home on Monday, a day before the West Indies arrive in Zimbabwe.

However, three key players will miss out on the tour through injury. Chris Mpofu is yet to be passed fit by the team physiotherapist after picking up a side strain; Sean Williams has not fully recovered from a migraine and Keith Dabengwa has a groin injury. In spite of Graeme Cremer's ten wickets for Zimbabwe A recently, he has not been selected for the touring party.

The first one-dayer gets underway at Harare on November 30.