Who will lead the Chevrons next?
VETERAN Hamilton Masakadza bowed out of international cricket when he captained Zimbabwe in their last match at the Bangladesh Twenty20 International series with a clash against Afghanistan in Chattogram last Friday.
Masakadza announced his retirement prior to the Bangladesh tour that he was calling time on his cricket career, 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 Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) to name a fulltime team leader going forward.
A closer look at the senior players shows that most of them are past 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 is 34. This effectively rules out these together with Williams from the future permanent leadership of the Chevrons.
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 when they head off to Singapore. Had he certainly been the next captain, Moor would have led the team in Singapore but the fact that Williams was handed that task shows that there are 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. At the age of 24, Musakanda is the favourite to captain the Chevrons but he still needs to cement his 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 Burl has reinvented himself, adding leg spin to become a complete all rounder. His fielding was also top notch in Bangladesh. If he could 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 in the country’s domestic scene and if he can cement his place in the national team, he can be an option for the captaincy.
Brandon Mavuta captained the Zimbabwe Under19 at the 2016 World Cup. The 22-year-old led spinner made a huge impact in international cricket when he got the chance last year which even saw him getting signed by Durban Heat for the inaugural Mzansi Super League. Mavuta has however, fallen out of favour with the national selectors, which saw him last represent his country in a One Day International against United Arab Emirates in Harare in April. Age is however, on his side, he can work hard on his bowling, force his way back into the national team and go on to captain the Chevrons.