Zimbabwe's chance to showcase progress

Big Picture

West Indies and Zimbabwe begin a fresh phase in international cricket under newly-appointed coaches, though the mood is more upbeat in the tourists' camp. While West Indies will expect to kick start a season of favourable results after a winless tour of Australia, Zimbabwe will have their eyes set on a goal far more significant - a return to Test cricket after their self-imposed exile in 2006.

Alan Butcher is expected to join his team midway through the tour but Zimbabwe will be, in the interim, under the supervision of current coach Walter Chawaguta and former captain Dave Houghton, who has targeted a return to the five-day format before the end of this year. Heath Streak will be supporting him as bowling coach, and Grant Flower resumes his duty as batting coach in October.

The return of distinguished former players in coaching roles to boost the team, a refurbished domestic structure based on five regional franchises to better administer first-class cricket, the organisation of a domestic Twenty20 league and the participation of a Zimbabwe XI in the Intercontinental Cup - these are all measures indicating a committed plan to facilitate Zimbabwe's transition to the cricketing mainstream.

However, Zimbabwe's exposure to limited-overs cricket in the recent past has been largely confined to playing Bangladesh - they've won three and lost ten ODIs against them since 2009 - and Kenya. They haven't played a Twenty20 international since October 2008. To realise their goal, they need to challenge superior teams and a demoralised West Indies, who, among other disappointments, were also beaten comprehensively in the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia, are a good place to start.