Taibu to fly out early to cover for injured Flower

Zimbabwe Cricket Union announced today that Churchill schoolboy Tatenda Taibu, who turns 17 in May, will leave tonight (Monday) to join the National Squad in the West Indies - one week earlier than originally scheduled.

President of the ZCU, Peter Chingoka, reported that, "The captain and wicket keeper - batsman, Andrew Flower, unfortunately sustained an injury during a net session last week and whilst we have monitored the reports on his injury and rate of recovery carefully, we fear that he may not recover in good time for the first of the two test match series against West Indies that starts on Thursday 16 March 2000.

Chingoka added, "Our team management is still anxiously hopeful that Andrew is fit in good time, but it is a necessary precaution for us to send, immediately, Tatenda Taibu as the understudy wicket keeper. He was originally booked to travel next week with other additional squad members as the reserve keeper for the One Day International Triangular Series."