Curran backs Zimbabwe to fight

Zimbabwe's coach Kevin Curran has backed his young side to prove their worth in the upcoming Champions Trophy. "We have an inexperienced but talented team of players who can perform well in a tournament like this," Curran said. "It is not going to be easy but we will surely put up a good fight."

The side, led by Prosper Utseya, were the first team to arrive for the tournament which starts with a qualifying match between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Mohali on October 7. Zimbabwe and West Indies will also be involved in a four-team battle for two berths in the main competition.

"It is going to be a massive learning curve for the guys," said Curran, who represented Zimbabwe in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups. "Obviously, with teams like Sri Lanka and the West Indies playing against us we have to be at our best. There is no reason why we can't beat Bangladesh again but we also have to win another match to qualify."

Utseya, 21, was not bothered about lack of experience following an exodus of players for non-cricketing reasons. "We have always done well in big tournaments like the World Cup. The current team may not have the experience but I think we are capable of causing a few upsets."

Zimbabwe's first match is against the West Indies in Ahmedabad on October 8.