Craig Ervine Reveals Why Zimbabwe Moved One-Off Test Against Afghanistan to Harare

Craig Ervine Reveals Why Zimbabwe Moved One-Off Test Against Afghanistan from Bulawayo to Harare

Zimbabwean cricketer Craig Ervine has revealed why the country’s one-off Test against Afghanistan was moved from Bulawayo to Harare.

Also Read: Zimbabwe’s Chevrons Crush Afghanistan to Claim First Home Test Win in 12 Years

Ervine Highlights Tactical Advantage of Playing in Harare

According to The Chronicle, Craig Ervine explained that moving the one-off Test against Afghanistan to Harare was a deliberate tactical decision. He said the conditions in Harare were slightly more favorable to Zimbabwe compared to Bulawayo and believed that Afghanistan’s relative inexperience could be exploited.

“We looked at it as a great opportunity, playing Afghanistan here in Harare. The conditions suited us slightly more than, probably, conditions in Bulawayo; they would suit them a little bit more,” Ervine said.

Ervine noted that Zimbabwe aimed to take advantage of Afghanistan’s inexperienced squad. He explained that winning the toss and choosing to bowl first with a strong pace attack gave them a favorable position, but emphasized that careful execution and following the team’s processes were still crucial for success.

“We felt that with the inexperience they have in their squad, we could capitalise on that. Winning the toss and bowling first, when you’ve got four seamers, you think everything’s in your favour, but you still have to go through your processes and execute.”

Exceptional Fielding a Deciding Factor

Ervine singled out Zimbabwe’s fielding as a key reason for their commanding performance.

“One department that was exceptional in this Test was the catching. I don’t think we put one catch down. We had some brilliant grabs, and if you want to win Tests, you have to take those. Tsiga was brilliant,” he said.

Learning from Stronger Opponents

The captain also highlighted lessons learned from facing elite international teams earlier in the year.

“I’ve taken a lot from the experiences against England, South Africa, and New Zealand. What guys learnt, especially from New Zealand, was how to deal with testing conditions. Going into this game, we felt that if you get through that new ball phase and stay patient, the runs do come. Their spin wasn’t as accurate, so that took a bit of pressure off and allowed the scoreboard to keep moving,” he said.

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