Zimbabwe have suffered a major setback as skipper Craig Ervine was ruled out of the ODI series against Sri Lanka on the eve of the opening match at Harare Sports Club, due to a calf injury.
A MRI scan on Thursday confirmed that the 40-year-old sustained a Grade II strain in his left calf, along with a chronic and resolving Grade I strain in his right calf, ruling him out of entire series.
In Ervine’s absence, veteran all-rounder Sean Williams will captain Zimbabwe in the two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.
The contest marks Zimbabwe’s return to ODI cricket following their recent home assignments, where they hosted South Africa and New Zealand for two Test matches each, along with a T20I tri-series.
This is also the comeback series for experienced batter Brendon Taylor, who returns to international cricket after nearly four years, having last represented Zimbabwe in September 2021 against Ireland.
The first ODI is scheduled today (August 29), followed by the second ODI on August 31. The two sides will then shift focus to a three-match T20I series.
