HARARE - Zimbabwe all-rounder, Hamilton Masakadza, Australia is the team to beat in all versions of the competition and ranked highest in the world while Zimbabwe is struggling for form, culminating in the team losing its Test status.
Masakadza, however, was not deterred and said that he and his team mates would rise to the occasion.
As an opener it will be crucial to give a solid start to the batting. It is certainly a trial playing against the best in the world [Australia], the twenty over game is definitely different from the fifty over game and we have to step up to the challenge and prove ourselves. As players we live to play against the very best and we are looking forward to taking the game to the Aussies, he told The Zimbabwean from Harare at the weekend.
The next six months will be very crucial because everything we will be doing as players will be geared towards the World Cup. It is the biggest tournament and the biggest thing for any player in one day cricket, even the programmes and individual preparations are directed towards preparing for the cup. The domestic season is starting soon and each one of us will have to prepare ourselves for the grand stage in India.
The ICC World Cup, crickets flagship event, kicks off on February 19. The winner of the tournament, which India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will co-host, will receive more than US$4million in prize money.
Zimbabwe are in a relatively tough Group A alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Post published in: Cricket