Zimbabwe cricket team has arrived in Pakistan without their head coach Lalchand Rajput on Tuesday (October 20) for the upcoming limited-overs series starting on the 30th of October in Rawalpindi.
Rajput wouldn’t be part of the white-ball tour after pulling out of the Pakistan tour due to the travel restrictions despite Zimbabwe getting a visa for the former Indian cricketer and coach.
Confirming the head coach’s unavailability, Zimbabwe Cricket stated that the Indian embassy in Harare had sought an exemption for Rajput visiting Pakistan, citing travel guidelines issued by the Government of India for its citizens, resulting in, they have given the interim charge to bowling coach Douglas Hondo.
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The statement reads: “@ZimCricketv head coach @Lalchandrajput7 will miss the @TheRealPCB tour after the Embassy of India in Harare wrote to @ZimCricketv asking that he be exempted from visiting Pakistan. The Embassy of Pakistan in Harare had issued a visa to Rajput.”
The ZC has also confirmed that Hondo, in the absence of Rajput, will be the interim head coach for the upcoming three-match One Day International series and 3 T20Is in Pakistan.
The board stated: “INTERIM HEAD COACH: With @Lalchandrajput7 unavailable, @ZimCricketv has appointed bowling coach Douglas Hondo to take charge of the team for the three ODIs and as many T20Is games against @TheRealPCB. All the best, Doug and the boys!”
Meanwhile, the ZC also shared a couple of pictures of their national squad on Twitter, as they safely reached Pakistan to play in the limited-overs series there.
Have a look here:
