England announce Zimbabwe one-day tour

England, fresh from losing their ninth one-day international in a row, will play five one-day games on a two-and-a-half week tour of Zimbabwe in October in a bid to gain experience before the 2003 World Cup.

England coach Duncan Fletcher, whose side were bowled out for 86, their lowest ever score, by Australia in a triangular series match on Thursday, told a press conference on Friday that the tour was arranged last year.

He said: "The England team which played yesterday at Old Trafford have a collective total of 445 caps. Yesterday's Australian team have 1,214 caps between them and the Pakistan team which played at Lord's on Tuesday have 1,169 caps.

"England have to look at why in the past they haven't played more one-day cricket -- it's just crazy."

While Fletcher has revitalised England's test fortunes, with the team winning four and drawing one of their last five series, the one-day side has continued to struggle since failing to get beyond the first round of the 1999 World Cup on home soil.

"We are much less experienced than other teams in this form of the game," Fletcher said. "We are trying to build a team to compete in the 2003 World Cup...This tour will certainly help."

But he stressed English fans should not expect a walk-over in Zimbabwe. "If we write them off, we will be fools," he said, adding that Zimbabwean players like Grant and Andy Flower and Heath Streak had played about 200 games each, far more than any England player.

"We are far behind other sides (in experience), barring perhaps Bangladesh," he said.

Tour itinerary:

26 Sept: Team leaves England.
1 Oct: Warm-up match v Zimbabwe A, Harare.
3 Oct: 1st ODI v Zimbabwe, Harare.
6 Oct: 2nd ODI, Harare.
7 Oct: 3rd ODI, Harare.
10 Oct: 4th ODI, Bulawayo.
13 Oct: 5th ODI, Bulawayo.

Mail Cricket Editor