HARARE, Zimbabwe, CMC – Brian Lara has been confirmed as a technical advisor for Zimbabwe ahead of the 2011 World Cup, which is to be staged in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh next month.
The West Indies legend had signed a contract as batting consultant to the national team following a brief stint in the national Twenty20 league competition with the Southern Rocks last year.
Following his attendance at the funeral service for his mentor Joey Carew, the late Trinidad & Tobago captain and West Indies batsman, Lara will fly to Dubai to join the Zimbabweans for a pre-World Cup training camp, which also includes two practice matches there.
The former West Indies captain is also expected to travel to India with the side to help them continue their preparations there.
Zimbabwe play two official warm-up matches in India before they open the World Cup against reigning four-time World champions Australia on February 21 at Ahmedabad in India.
Meantime, Zimbabwe have announced their 15-member squad for the World Cup, and it includes Hampshire batsman Sean Ervine, who is currently playing in the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship with the English T20 champions. The squad does not however, include their best known batsman Hamilton Masakadza. He was omitted due to poor form.
Zimbabwe will be led by all-rounder Elton Chigumbura, who has been in charge of the side, since off-spinner Prosper Utseya resigned from the position following a trip to the Caribbean, where they won one Twenty20 International and one of five One-day Internationals against Chris Gayle’s West Indies.
Utseya will form part of a lethal spin bowling attack with leg-spinner Graeme Cremer, left-arm spinner Ray Price (nephew of three-time golf major champion Nick Price), and off-spinner Gregory Lamb as the Zimbabweans seek to exploit typically sub-continental conditions.
Squad: Elton Chigumbura (captain), Regis Chakabva, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Craig Ervine, Sean Ervine, Gregory Lamb, Shingirai Masakadza, Chris Mpofu, Ray Price, Edward Rainsford, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams
