Craig Ervine, Zimbabwe’s captain, will miss the two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. The left-handed batter has a calf injury, which will hold him out of the game.
In Ervine’s absence, experienced all-rounder Sean Williams will captain Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka as a stand-in. The latter sustained the injury on the eve of the first ODI, which will be played at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Friday, August 29.
An MRI scan revealed that Craig Ervine had a Grade II strain in his left calf and a chronic, resolving Grade I strain in his right calf.
The 40-year-old is one of Zimbabwe’s most experienced and dependable batsmen. However, he has missed numerous matches in recent years owing to injury. His most recent absence occurred during the Test against Ireland in February 2025, when he went on parental leave. Williams, too, had missed that Test due to a back injury, but they both returned to the squad for the home Test series against Bangladesh in April and May. His last ODI participation came in the series against Ireland.
Ervine has played 128 ODIs, scoring 3600 runs at a 33.03 average, including 23 fifties and four centuries. He has also played 30 Tests and 71 Twenty20 Internationals.
Brendan Taylor returns
While Zimbabwe will not have Ervine available, they will be bolstered by the return of Brendan Taylor. The veteran batter made a comeback to international cricket during the Test series against New Zealand after serving a three-year ban for corruption-related offences.
The right-handed batter is now making a return to ODI cricket after almost four years. He has scored 6684 runs from 205 ODIs at an average of 35.55. Taylor’s contribution will be crucial, especially in the absence of Ervine. Apart from Taylor, Zimbabwe will bank on Sikandar Raza’s all-round services against a talented Sri Lankan side.
India
