Zimbabwe World Cup 2015 profile: Minnows face massive task to overthrow big four

Coach: Dav Whatmore

ICC Work Ranking: 10

Squad: Elton Chigumbura (C), Regis Chakabva (WK), Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha, Craig Ervine, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Solomon Mire, Tawanda Mupariwa, Tinashe Panyangara, Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, Prosper Utseya, Sean Williams

Fixtures: South Africa (15 February), UAE (19 February), West Indies (24 February), Pakistan (1 March), Ireland (7 March), India (14 March)

Overview: Zimbabwe have been blessed with a plethora of talented players over the years, but have failed to carve a place or themselves in world cricket. The likes of Andy Flower, Alastair Campbell and David Houghton would have made the first XI in any international team across the globe, bar the top three, but lack of strength in depth in other areas has been the Achilles heel for the minnows in many a World Cup.

The present squad has talented players like Sikandar Raza, Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor, who can put the opposition to test if on song and these players can give the team some motivation when pitted against the big guns, to pull off an upset of sorts.

Fielding is by far their biggest strength and they need to hold on to catches and fight for every run if they have to put pressure on opposition teams. Their batting and bowling on the other hand is not much to write home about and they need a few players to hold their own or conjure some individual magic if they have to disturb the big boys.

World Cup history: Zimbabwe's best performance was in the 1999 World Cup when they progressed into the super six stages, but missed out on a semi-final berth due to an inferior run-rate as compared to New Zealand. They beat India and South Africa in the group stages, but political disturbances over the next few years scuppered any hopes they had of maintaining their uprising in the following tournaments. The minnows have never made it out of the group stages in any of the other World Cups, since they started participating in the tournament in 1983.

Prediction: Zimbabwe are unlikely to make it out of the group stages this time around as well, with competition from South Africa, India, West Indies and Pakistan given their current state.