Zimbabwe Women will have an interim head coach, Kate Ebrahim, for the white-ball tour of New Zealand. This is a transition period for both the team and a technical restructure by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) ahead of their historic ICC Women’s Championship campaign.
Zimbabwe Cricket Announces Interim Coaching Staff
Kate Ebrahim will captain Zimbabwe’s women’s cricket team on their upcoming tour to New Zealand, with Travor Phiri acting as interim assistant coach and Debu Banik as a bowling consultant.
Thandolwenkosi Mlilo serves as team manager for this new interim coaching group that replaced Walter Chawaguta’s coaching group after the Zimbabwe Women’s Under 19 team finished poorly at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2026 held in Nepal. Permanent appointments to the women’s technical structure will be announced by ZC at a later date.
Why Kate Ebrahim Was Chosen
Kate Ebrahim’s appointment is a testament to Zimbabwe Cricket’s efforts to reinvigorate the squad both by providing them international knowledge and creating a new level of enthusiasm amongst them.
According to Givemore Makoni, ZC Managing Director, the need for decisive action following Zimbabwe’s disappointing T20 World Cup Qualifier performance must be addressed in order for the team to succeed as they now enter the ICC Women’s Championship—a significant chapter in the history of women’s cricket in Zimbabwe.
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As a former New Zealand international allrounder, Ebrahim offers a wealth of international experience with significant knowledge of how the New Zealand playing conditions differ from those in Zimbabwe, which will be helpful for the team’s upcoming tour.
Kate Ebrahim’s International Playing Career
Kate Ebrahim has had a wonderful international career with the White Ferns (New Zealand).
Statistics for Kate Ebrahim:
31 ODIs (One Day Internationals)
39 T20Is (Twenty-Twenty Internationals)
Kate’s experience with New Zealand’s playing conditions & modern-day white ball cricket, will be a massive benefit to Zimbabwe at this time by providing us with some guidance whilst we travel overseas.
Kate’s husband, Dion Ebrahim, was a former Zimbabwean batter and is now the assistant coach for the Zimbabwe men’s national team that will be playing in the Men’s T20 World Cup.
Nomvelo Sibanda Named Interim Captain
The Zimbabwe Cricket has appointed experienced left-hand seam bowler Nomvelo Sibanda as the interim captain for the New Zealand tour, along with changes to the coaching positions. The players will rely heavily on her strength and experience as they begin their first ICC Women’s Championship series.
Zimbabwe’s Maiden ICC Women’s Championship Appearance
Zimbabwe Women are scheduled to make their maiden appearance in the ICC Women’s Championship in the 2025-29 cycle. This will be their first foray into the main qualification route for the 2029 Women’s ODI World Cup. Zimbabwe Women were the 11th team to join the ICC Women’s Championship following the expansion of the competition’s format.
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Format of the Championship:
Every country will play eight ODI series
Four at home and four away series
Three ODIs in each series
Zimbabwe Women’s Tour of New Zealand Schedule
The Zimbabwe Women’s tour of New Zealand comprises:
Three T20 Internationals from February 25
Three One-Day Internationals from March 5
The ODI series will also have implications for the ICC Women’s Championship, making them very important for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe’s 2025-29 Future Tours Program (FTP)
As part of the ICC Women’s Championship cycle, Zimbabwe will:
Away Series:
New Zealand
India
Bangladesh
Pakistan
Home Series:
South Africa
West Indies
Sri Lanka
Ireland
This structured pathway offers Zimbabwe Women consistent exposure against top international sides.
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