malvernmugadzikwa
Don Makanyanga
Sports Reporter
IT has been some 32 years since Jonathan’s father, Alistair Campbell, made his international debut.
Jonathan has now set himself the arduous task of not only filling his father’s shoes, but also surpassing the Zimbabwe cricket great’s achievements.
An elegant left-handed batter in his day, Alistair showed great promise from an early age and was duly selected for the national side while still at school.
The former Zimbabwe international and administrator became the youngest Zimbabwean to make a first-class century.
He could play a wide range of shots, generate power without apparent effort and was a magnificent fielder in any position.
After a career that spanned roughly 13 years, the senior Campbell called time on a largely successful international career back in 2003, having achieved milestones.
The now 51-year-old is ranked fifth in most consecutive matches as captain (72) and most consecutive matches for a team in combined One-Day Internationals (ODIs), T20s and Tests (159).
He is also fifth in most ODI runs by a Zimbabwean, with 5 185 runs from 188 matches, and third in the Test arena with 2 858 runs from 60 matches.
In the field, Campbell is ranked behind only Grant Flower (86) for the most catches, with 76 from 188 matches.
The huge shadow he casts is not lost on 27-year-old Jonathan, who only began his international cricket career for the Zimbabwe Chevrons last month during the now-forgettable trip to Bangladesh.
“Yes, obviously, being the son of my dad (Alistair Campbell) has not always been the easiest thing, but I find it to be a privilege,” said the 27-year-old.
“It feels great. Trying to follow in his footsteps will be a dream of mine. I can say that the sky is the limit as I am going to do my best and try to smash all of the records he set.” While the lad’s international career is still in its infancy, Jonathan is not short on confidence.
“My dad’s era is different from this era. He never played T20 and he never did a couple of other things that I do,” said Jonathan. “For instance, I bowl a bit more and I have taken more first-class wickets.”
Jonathan made his official debut for the Chevrons last month during Zimbabwe’s tour to Bangladesh.
Despite results not going Zimbabwe’s way, the sojourn to the sub-continent was a memorable experience for the 27-year-old cricketer.
“Making my debut and getting a taste of international cricket was great,” he said. “Playing for the Chevrons was my dream as a kid, and being able to play and to get that cap from Craig Ervine was a special feeling for me. It is something that I do not think I can replicate, and probably one of the biggest moments in my life.”
Jonathan likes to think his gold medal for the Zimbabwe emerging side during the African Games recently was the ideal launching pad for his career.
“Any time you get to represent your country, it is an amazing feeling, and the Africa Games were no exception,” he said. “There were quite several decent teams, and being part of the young team was a great experience. I was one of the senior guys and being able to lead from the front, put up some decent performance and win a gold medal is something that will never get taken away from me.”
Jonathan’s brief stints in international cricket have left him optimistic about the country’s prospects.
“Winning gold at the Africa Games shows that the young talent is there and once nurtured, Zimbabwe is going to be a future powerhouse,” he said.
“The team is very young, with a lot of talent, with names like Brian Bennet, Clive Madande and Wesley Madhevere leading the charge.
“We also have senior players like Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava, who have shown how good they are and can be.
“I think Zimbabwe is in good hands at this stage . . . and given the right games and right mentorship, we are going to be a good side going forward.”
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu