Zimbabwe women go into camp

A provisional squad of 30 players has been hard at work in preparation for the final round of World Cup qualifiers to be held in Pakistan in November. The women have been based at Tashinga Cricket Club in the country's capital, Harare for the past four days.

Zimbabwe qualified for the final round due to be held in Pakistan in November after comprehensively winning the African pre-qualifiers held in Nairobi last December. Following the four day camp the squad were split into two sides playing a series of warm-up fixtures against boys' age group sides.

Chiedza Mafunga, the manager, said: "All the girls who we short-listed after the inter-provincial tournament in Kwekwe were taken through drills by head coach Emmanuel Dube and his assistant Alister Zowe.

"This camp will give the girls a chance to train and play together as a team for the first time while affording the coaches and fitness trainer Lorraine Chivandire an opportunity to assess their progress since Kwekwe.

"It also gives the girls a chance to prove their worth as the team will be trimmed down to 15 in August. The idea is to start preparing the ladies both physically and mentally for the bigger challenge that is expected to come in Pakistan at the end of the year."