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Nomvelo Sibanda Leads New-Look Zimbabwe Women’s Squad for Historic Pakistan Tour

Nomvelo Sibanda will captain Zimbabwe Women on their historic first-ever tour of Pakistan. The 15-player squad includes 10 new faces, with only five players retained from the previous tour against New Zealand. Steve Mangongo, the technical director, emphasized the need to expose young talent as the team transitions into FTP cricket. Several experienced players are missing due to injury, personal commitments, or non-selection.

Key Points: Zimbabwe Women’s Squad Announced for Pakistan Tour

  • Nomvelo Sibanda named captain for Pakistan tour
  • 10 new faces in 15-player squad
  • Historic first-ever tour of Pakistan for Zimbabwe Women
  • Mary-Anne Musonda retired from international career
  • Kelis Ndhlovu returns after concussion recovery
3 min read

Nomvelo Sibanda to lead as Zimbabwe announce squad for Pakistan tour

Nomvelo Sibanda captains Zimbabwe Women on their first-ever tour of Pakistan. 10 new faces join the squad for ODIs and T20Is in Karachi.

"Zimbabwe has taken a significant step into FTP cricket, and it's important that we expose young talent to the international stage while broadening our player base. - Steve Mangongo"

Harare, April 29

Nomvelo Sibanda will lead the side as Zimbabwe Cricket unveiled a new-look women's squad for their upcoming white-ball tour of Pakistan. The 15-player squad features 10 new faces with only five players retained from the previous tour against New Zealand in March.

The six-match tour marks a historic milestone, as it will be Zimbabwe Women's first-ever visit to Pakistan, with all matches set to be played at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.

The ODI series, scheduled for May 3, 6 and 9, forms part of the ICC Women's Championship 2025-2029, while the T20I matches will follow on May 12, 14 and 15 .

Nombelo is taking up the responsibility of leading the group after long-standing skipper Mary-Anne Musonda called time on her international career on Monday. She will be supported by experienced all-rounder Precious Marange, whose presence provides guidance to a relatively inexperienced squad.

Promising all-rounder Kelis Ndhlovu, who suffered a concussion during last month's tour of New Zealand, has fully recovered and retains her place in the side. She is joined by fellow emerging talents Beloved Biza and Adel Zimunu.

Zimbabwe Women's technical director for the tour, Steve Mangongo, who is also in charge of ZC's Women's High Performance Programme, said the changes were both deliberate and necessary as the team transitions into the demands of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) cricket.

"Zimbabwe has taken a significant step into FTP cricket, and it's important that we expose young talent to the international stage while broadening our player base. We took a hard, honest look at where we are after missing out on qualification in Nepal for the Women's T20 World Cup," Mangongo said in an official statement.

Due to the new strategy, Zimbabwe will be without several experienced names. Josephine Nkomo and Nyasha Gwanzura miss out due to injury, while Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano is unavailable due to personal commitments.

Additionally, Modester Mupachikwa, Chiedza Dhururu, Loreen Tshuma, Loryn Phiri and Tendai Makusha - all part of the New Zealand tour - have not been selected for the Pakistan trip.

Christabel Chatonzwa and Audrey Mazvishaya are among the non-travelling reserves together with Passionate Monorwei.

Zimbabwe women will tour Pakistan for the first time for a white-ball series. The visitors will arrive in Karachi towards the end of April and will undergo a preparatory training camp before the matches.

Zimbabwe Women's squad for Pakistan tour:

Nomvelo Sibanda (captain), Beloved Biza, Olinder Chare, Kudzai Chigora, Melinda Kachingwe, Lindokuhle Mabhera, Precious Marange, Michelle Mavunga, Natasha Mtomba, Christina Mutasa, Vimbai Mutungwindu, Kelis Ndhlovu, Kelly Ndiraya, Runyararo Pasipanodya, Adel Zimunu

- IANS

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Reader Comments

K
Kavya N
First-ever tour to Pakistan for Zimbabwe women's team—that's a big milestone! Reminds me of our own women's team's historic tours. Hope they get good support from PCB and the matches are competitive. Pakistan's women's cricket has grown so much, this will be a great learning experience for these young Zim players. 🙌
M
Manish T
Steve Mangongo's vision is clear—build for the future. But dropping 5 players who played in New Zealand just months ago? That's harsh for Mupachikwa and Loryn Phiri. However, if you want to broaden the player base for FTP cricket, sometimes you have to make tough calls. Let's see how this experiment works.
R
Riya H
Sad to see Mary-Anne Musonda retire—she was the backbone of Zimbabwe women's cricket. But every era must end. Nomvelo Sibanda has big shoes to fill! And Kelis Ndhlovu recovering from concussion is good news—she's a promising all-rounder. Pakistan will be tough opponents at home, but this tour will make or break this squad. 💪
S
Siddharth J
Zimbabwe's approach is interesting—full rebuild instead of gradual transition. As an Indian cricket fan, I've seen the risks of rushing young players. Michelle Mavunga and Christina Mutasa have big opportunities here. Hope the management also gives them proper support staff and not just technical directors. All the best to the team! 🏏
A
Arjun K
I appreciate the bold strategy, but dropping experienced players like Modester Mupachikwa and Chiedza Dhururu completely seems harsh.

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