Cricket: Zimbabwe no easy-beats - Taylor

Black Caps skipper Ross Taylor. Photo / Brett Phibbs

New Black Caps captain Ross Taylor's dismissing any suggestion Zimbabwe will be easy-beats on their African tour.

The side leaves in two groups for the the three week trip today and tomorrow.

Taylor says Zimbabwe are no pushovers at home.

He believes their competitiveness in their home series against Pakistan last month shows the tour won't be a cake-walk.

Taylor says in order to be a good captain, the first thing he needs to do is be a good batsman.

He says he needs to be scoring runs and batting well in order to command the respect of his teammates.

The tour kicks off with the first of two Twenty20 matches next Saturday.

- NEWSTALK ZB