Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
VETERAN Hamilton Masakadza bowed out of international cricket after captaining Zimbabwe in their last match in the Bangladesh Twenty20 International Triangular series with a clash against Afghanistan in Chattogram on Friday.
Masakadza announced his retirement prior to the Bangladesh tour having made his international debut in 2001 against West Indies.
With the veteran batsman retiring, Sean Williams has been named Chevrons’ captain for yet another T20I tri series in Singapore where Zimbabwe will face the host nation and Nepal. The left-handed all-rounder turns 33 this week and looks like a temporary measure for the captaincy, with ZC set to name a permanent skipper soon.
A closer look at the senior players shows that most of them are over the age of 30, which means chances of them being at the next World Cup in 2023 are slim. Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza are both 33, Regis Chakabva is 31, Kyle Jarvis (30) and Craig Ervine (34). This effectively rules them out from the captaincy.
With ZC said to be looking to appoint a captain around the age of 25, we take a look at some of those with great prospects of being handed the task of leading the Chevrons.
Peter Moor was appointed Masakadza’s deputy early this year and appeared the obvious choice to take over when the veteran retires.
The 28-year-old has, however, found the going tough in international cricket and was dropped for the Bangladesh tour, but will be part of the team for the Singapore tour. Moor would have led the team in Singapore had he been the natural replacement, but the fact that Williams was handed that task shows there are perhaps question marks about Moor’s suitability to lead the Chevrons.
Tarisai Musakanda fits perfectly in the ZC plan when it comes to the next captain. A right-handed top order batsman, Musakanda captained the Zimbabwe Select at last year’s Africa Cup T20 tournament in South Africa a year ago, with the burden of team leadership seemingly light for him as he was in fine form with the bat. He, however, failed to carry his form into the T20I series against the Proteas.
Aged 24, Musakanda is the favourite to captain the Chevrons, but he still needs to hold down a place in the team first.
Left-arm spinner Ainsley Ndlovu made his international debut a few months ago against Netherlands. He is one player who has really worked hard to make it into the national team. The 23-year-old showed his leadership qualities when he led Tuskers to the Pro50 Championship final and was also outstanding when the Bulawayo franchise won the domestic T20 competition.
Ryan Burl, a player who seemed destined for big things when he represented the country at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup is now coming out of his shell. The 25-year-old has reinvented himself, adding leg-spin to become a complete all-rounder. His fielding was also top notch in Bangladesh. If he can curb his sharp tongue, then he could be handed the responsibility of leading the Chevrons.
Tinotenda Mutombodzi has been leading Eagles for a number of seasons on the domestic scene and if he can cement his place in the national team, he can be an option for the captaincy.
Pace bowling all-rounder Neville Madziva is another possibility if he can cement a place in the team.
Brandon Mavuta captained the Zimbabwe Under-19 at the 2016 World Cup. The 22-year-old leg-spinner made a huge impact in international cricket when he got the chance last year.
He was even signed by Durban Heat for the inaugural Mzansi Super League. Mavuta has, however, fallen out of favour with the national selectors, as he last represented the country in a one-day international against United Arab Emirates in Harare in April.
Age is, however, on his side and he can still work hard on his bowling and force his way back into the national team and go on to captain the Chevrons. — @Mdawini_29
Online Reporter