Hobart, Australia: Zimbabwe stand-in captain Brendan Taylor won the toss and sent Ireland in to bat Saturday in their Cricket World Cup Pool B match at a cool and cloudy Bellerive Oval.
Zimbabwe brought in pace bowler Regis Chakabva for regular skipper Elton Chigumbura, who suffered a thigh injury when he tripped chasing a ball in Sunday's loss to Pakistan.
Australian-born allrounder Alex Cusack replaces paceman Max Sorensen for Ireland, which can move ahead of the West Indies and Pakistan into third position in Pool B with a win.
Zimbabwe must win in Hobart to remain among the middle of the pool and keep a pulse in its quarterfinal hopes.
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Ireland: William Porterfield (captain), Paul Stirling, Ed Joyce, Niall O'Brien, Andy Balbirnie, Gary Wilson, Kevin O'Brien, John Mooney, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Andy McBrine.
Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Solomon Mire, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor (captain), Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Regis Chakabva, , Tawanda Mupariwa, Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara.
Umpires: Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sri Lanka, and Paul Reiffel, Australia.
TV umpire: Joel Wilson, West Indies. Match referee: Ranmore Martinesz, Sri Lanka.
