Vermeulen To Return For Zimbabwe

Vermeulen To Return For Zimbabwe

©Action Images / Alex Morton Livepic

Zimbabwean batsmen Mark Vermeulen is set to return to the international arena after serving a lengthy ban and prison sentence.

In 2006, Vermeulen confessed to setting fire to the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy’s pavilion and boardroom, however he was released by a Harare court and subsequently re-selected for the national squad that faces Bangladesh in five ODIs next month.

In May 2008, the batsmen apologised for his crime and offered to give some of his earnings to go towards rebuilding the academy if he was allowed to play for Zimbabwe again.

Later that month Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) granted him his wish and he represented Zimbabwe ‘A’ on their tour of Namibia. He will now represent his full national side for the first time since 2004 when he made the last of his eight Test and 32 One-Day International appearances.

Meanwhile, there is no place for Tatenda Taibu in the squad as he is still serving his ten-match ban after being found guilty of assaulting the team’s finance manager about a dispute over pay.

© Cricket World 2009

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