Mashonaland manager Andy Cameron today hinted at making several unexpected changes to the line-up of the Zimbabwean club's first class side. Cameron was at Yorkshire, where he had been watching his rookies in the 2nd XI beat Yorkshire in a one day game.
"We've been keeping a close eye on Vince Walker and Hashim Amla, both of whom are in good form. With Ben Straw expected to be out for another week, we're in need of an allrounder. While Travis, who we played last round, has been batting well enough, his bowling hasn't been that effective, and we feel Vince may offer that little bit more with the ball, while his batting is certainly going to help the lower order. Vince will actually be likely to replace young Abutahir Rizan, who's spin hasn't been as good as we'd hoped, while Amla will most likely be coming in for Travis."
This talk has been met with some head-scratching by those familar with the club, which has surprisingly been struggling in the longer form recently. Walker has in fact only played one game for the 2nd XI, which was last round, where he made 35 in his one innings and took two wickets for 98 over the two innings. Likewise, Amla, while being fairly consistent for the seconds, has yet to post a decent score.
Hashim Amla is one of the two likely debutants for Mashonaland this round