The Zimbabwe Women cricket team selected Josephine Nkomo to lead a 17-player squad for a historic five-match Twenty20 International series against South Africa. The opening match starts on Friday, 11 September, at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Nkomo returns to the team after an injury forced her to miss Zimbabwe’s tour of Pakistan in May. She leads the national side as captain for the first time since her official appointment. This series marks the first-ever visit of the South Africa Women’s team to Zimbabwe.
Josephine Nkomo will lead Zimbabwe for the first time, having missed the white-ball tour of Pakistan with injury after being named captain https://t.co/lVswpfioH3
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) September 10, 2026
Nkomo Leads Group of Returning Senior Player
Josephine Nkomo brings crucial international experience to the leadership role. The seam-bowling all-rounder has represented Zimbabwe in 69 T20Is and 18 ODIs. She missed the tour of Pakistan in May due to injury, but she now takes the helm for her first full series as captain.
Experienced batter Sharne Mayers also joins the national squad after a two-year absence from international cricket. Mayers last represented Zimbabwe in an international match in October 2024. She brings a track record of 33 T20I caps and 13 ODI caps to the batting line-up.
All-rounder Nyasha Gwanzura also returns to the national squad. Key senior players Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Modester Mupachikwa, Loreen Tshuma, and Loryn Phiri keep their places in the side. Left-arm medium-pacer Nomvelo Sibanda, who represented Zimbabwe during the tour of Pakistan in May, also retains her place in the squad.
Full 17-Player Zimbabwe Squad: Josephine Nkomo (captain), Beloved Biza, Kudzai Chigora, Francesca Chipare, Nyasha Gwanzura, Lindokuhle Mabhera, Tendai Makusha, Michelle Mavunga, Sharne Mayers, Modester Mupachikwa, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Christina Mutasa, Kelis Ndhlovu, Lorraine Pemhiwa, Loryn Phiri, Nomvelo Sibanda, and Loreen Tshuma.
Historic Tour and Head-to-Head History
South Africa Women tour Zimbabwe for the first time in cricket history for this bilateral series. The two national teams previously met on only two occasions in international cricket. They played each other during a quadrangular One Day International (ODI) series in South Africa in 2017.
Zimbabwe Women return to home action for the first time in nearly a year. The team last played home international matches when they hosted the United Arab Emirates in a bilateral series at Queens Sports Club in September and October 2025.
Youth Integration and Under-19 Stars
The 17-player squad balances senior international experience with emerging youth talent. National selectors chose three players from the Zimbabwe Under-19 team. These three young players competed at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 1 in Dar es Salaam. Zimbabwe Under-19 captain Lorraine Pemhiwa enters the senior squad alongside youth teammates Beloved Biza and Christina Mutasa.
ZC names Zimbabwe Women squad for South Africa T20I series
Details 🔽https://t.co/zux5EwLdBD pic.twitter.com/easZVST6z3
— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) September 10, 2026
Complete Match Schedule at Queens Sports Club
Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo hosts every match in the five-game T20I series. The series starts with the first T20I on Friday, 11 September. The second T20I takes place on Sunday, 13 September. The third match follows on Tuesday, 15 September. The fourth fixture occurs on Thursday, 17 September. The fifth and final T20I completes the tour schedule on Saturday, 19 September.
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