Harare, June 21: Zimbabwe Cricket said on Wednesday that the reminder of fixtures for the ongoing ICC Mens ODI World Cup qualifiers will remain unaffected after a fire incident took place at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday night. According to reports, hours after Zimbabwe completed a six-wicket victory over Netherlands by chasing 316 at the venue, led by a fantastic century from Sikandar Raza, flames were witnessed at the southern end of the ground, where the Castle Corner is situated. It is a part of the ground occupied by the hosts' supporters and videos had circulated on social media of the fire becoming as high as the nearby trees. USA vs NED, ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifier: Fifties from Scott Edwards, Teja Nidamanuru Help Netherlands Cruise to Five-wicket Win.
"A prompt response from the City of Harare Fire Brigade ensured the flames were quickly doused and there was no damage caused to any of the structures at the ground," said Zimbabwe Cricket in its statement.
It means that Harare Sports Club will continue to host three more group fixtures, four Super Six matches and the final to be held on July 9, starting from Thursday's clash between Nepal and West Indies, followed by a highly-anticipated clash between Zimbabwe and West Indies.
"Tomorrow's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 fixture at Harare Sports Club will not be affected and will proceed as scheduled," added Zimbabwe Cricket.
In the ongoing ten-team competition, two sides will play in the final of the qualifiers and will also qualify for this year's ODI World Cup to be held in India in October-November.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 23, 2023 09:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).