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IT’S an iconic photo that is worth more than a thousand words and, for most of the current Zimbabwean cricketers, it’s a throwback to the year they cut their milk teeth in representing their country in international on the big stage at the 2004 ICC Cricket Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.
The boyish teenage faces of the players say it all, back at the stage of their careers when they were just starting out their adventures on the big stage, and 14 years down the line, a big number of them are still in the trenches representing their country.
Others, like Colin de Grandhomme, have found home elsewhere with the all-rounder now starring for New Zealand.
Others, like Proper Utseya, have since retired and ventured into coaching, leading his academy side to success on the domestic scene this year.
While others, lie Ed Rainsford, have turned themselves into commentators of repute and are covering the game with authority for television.
But a big chunk of those players remain in the trenches, playing the game competitively, and fighting for the cause of their country.
Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer, Brendan Taylor and Elton Chigumbura are still part of the national team set-up and some of them could be on their way to South Africa and Bangladesh from next month with the Chevrons.
Maybe, looking at their results in 2004 in Bangladesh, we should have known that we had a group of teenagers who were good enough to make their mark on the big stage with the passage of time.
They lost their first game by two wickets to Sri Lanka on February 15, 2004, after they were bundled out for 161 in 49.3 overs with the Asians chasing that total in 38.2 overs for the loss of eight wickets in a match that could have gone either way.
Three days later, the Zimbabweans sent shockwaves across the world with an emphatic seven-wicket win over Australia.
They destroyed the Aussies for a mere 73 in 14 overs before they reached their target in 17.1 overs having lost three wickets along the way.
A day later, it was the turn of Canada to be put to the sword with the Zimbabweans showing their batting strength as they chased down their opponents’ target of 180-9 in 36.2 overs for the loss of just two wickets.
The two wins out of three matches saw the Zimbabweans finish their group campaign on four points, the same as group winners Sri Lanka, with the Asians topping the group because of a superior net run rate.
The Aussies could only finish in third place.
Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe then moved into the Super League and the Zimbabweans lost to eventual winners Pakistan by nine wickets, lost to England by six wickets before beating New Zealand by 92 runs.
Online Reporter