Vermeulen completes Zimbabwe rehabilitation

Harare:

Batsman Mark Vermeulen has completed his comeback to the Zimbabwe cricket team by being included in the team to face Bangladesh in five one-day internationals next month.

The 30-year-old Vermeulen was set free by a Harare court on medical grounds in January 2008 after confessing to setting fire to the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy pavilion and boardroom in 2006.

In May 2008, Vermeulen apologised and offered to build the academy using a percentage of his earnings if he was allowed to play for Zimbabwe again. Later in the year, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) unconditionally gave him the selection greenlight, allowing him to tour Namibia with the Zimbabwe "A" side in February.

Vermeulen, who played eight Tests and 32 ODIs for Zimbabwe, returns to the international fold after last playing in a home series against Sri Lanka in 2004.

He has been included in a 19-man squad alongside fellow batsman Charles Coventry, who quit the team in 2005 following disagreements with former coach Kevin Curran.

There was no place in the squad for former captain Tatenda Taibu, who has been suspended for 10 matches after accusations of assaulting the board's finance manager Esther Lupepe over a payment dispute.

The wicketkeeper was acquitted by a Harare magistrate in April.

"An internal disciplinary team made up of three retired magistrates however found him guilty," ZC spokesman Shingai Rhuhwaya said. "He has therefore been suspended for 10 matches. He will however be eligible to play for his province."

The squad contains two uncapped players in Trevor Garwe and Admire Manyumwa.

Squad:

Prosper Utseya (captain), Hamilton Masakadza, Ray Price, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Mark Vermeulen, Charles Coventry, Vusi Sibanda, Sean Williams, Elton Chigumbura, Chamu Chibhabha, Forster Mutizwa, Keith Dabengwa, Timycen Maruma, Graeme Cremer, Chris Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa, Ed Rainsford, Admire Manyumwa, Trevor Garwe.