Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe senior men's cricket team will shift focus from limited-overs to the five-day format on Thursday as they play Ireland in a historic one-off Test match.
The first-ever Test match between the two countries is set for Stormont Cricket Ground in Belfast and is the second series for newly-appointed Chevrons coach Justin Sammons, who assumed office at the start of the month.
Sammons watched his new charges suffer a 4-1 T20I series defeat against world champions India at Harare Sports Club. He will use the match against Ireland to assess the players' Test credentials.
"I would say that in our Test against Ireland, we would want to see and find out how the players can cope with the pressures of Test Cricket," said Sammons. He reckons that shifting from the shorter version of the game to the longer version will not be an easy task for his charges.
"The shift from white ball to red ball, especially the shift from T20 to Test cricket is a big one.
"I think it is going to be a big challenge for most of the players who were involved in the T20 series just in terms of simplifying their game plan and staying disciplined in their game plan.
"We are looking forward to seeing how they handle various pressures of the red ball.
"It has been a long time since a Test was played and I believe it's over a year and some players like Sean Williams who are your experienced players have not played in three years," said Sammons. With one of Zimbabwe's leading cricketers Sikandar Raza out of the once-off Test, Sammons believes the presence of captain Craig Ervine and all-rounder Sean Williams will come in handy for his charges.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"Raza is unavailable for this Test match, obviously we would have loved to have had him with us.
"We know the value that he adds in all aspects of the game and the team. We wish him the best in his campaign in the 100s.
"It is great to have both Craig and Sean in the squad as our experienced players and the youngsters have that chance to pick up their brains and feed as much as possible from the experience which is exciting," said Sammons.
Sammons is still eager to record a victory in his second assignment for the Chevrons.
"It's about finding the balance, trying to get to know the players and at the same time wanting to win. "Test cricket is about creating the environment that allows players to bring the best version of themselves.
