The 2014 Twenty-20 cricket World Cup is around the corner and while all other participating nations have started priming themselves up, Zimbabwean preparations have been shambolic amid crippling financial woes.
The domestic season, which falls far short of adequately preparing the national team for such an event of such magnitude though it would have helped in some way, has had its start dates shifted and shuffled several times, with hopes it will take place waning.
South Africa are currently hosting Pakistan, at the back of other series in all formats in Dubai; India have an engagement with the West Indies; the Ashes has just started and the two nations will also play a One-Day-International series and a T-20; New Zealand is in Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile Zimbabwean players are either sitting idle at home or practising in the nets with the batsmen flattering themselves against predominantly school boys.
The latest information is that the domestic league could start on December 7 as Zimbabwe Cricket desperately waits for funding.
The countries that Zimbabwe will play in the pre-tournament qualifier in Bangladesh from March 16 are all engaged in their preliminary round of qualifiers and are exposed to much competitive cricket.
Having recorded rare success when they defeated Pakistan in a Test match at the back of an ODI win and another win in a lost T-20 series, all the gains which the team would have built on are likely to go to waste.
Worst still Zimbabwe could suffer the ignominy of climbing down from a Test win against super powers Pakistan to an embarrassing early exit at the hands of non-Test playing minnows at the global showcase.
The latest ICC T-20 team rankings place Zimbabwe at 15th below associate nations Kenya, Scotland, Netherlands, Ireland and Afghanistan.
Zimbabwe could face the Netherlands and Afghanistan in their qualification group.
Memories still linger of Zimbabwe's embarrassing display at the last T-20 World Cup in Sri Lanka where they suffered heavy defeats to the hosts and South Africa, and were the first to be eliminated.
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