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ZIMBABWE cricket walked back into the light with its return to the Test arena and the country’s triumphant comeback against Bangladesh was a milestone development in the history of sport in this nation.

After a six-year absence, following a voluntary withdrawal from the Test arena as Zimbabwe Cricket authorities sought to rebuild a home shattered by in-house battles, it felt good to see our cricketers in the all-white of the Test arena again.

Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game and we have always prided ourselves in being a nation that competed favourably against the best in the world in this cultured sporting discipline.

But five years ago, we couldn’t compete, without plunging the good name of our country into disrepute through crushing defeats and, also, turning into a mockery in an exclusive club that is meant to represent the highest possible levels of the game.

The decision by a number of white players to rebel against the authorities paralysed the team and, as the battles turned both political and racial, the Zimbabwe Cricket authorities made the right decision to withdraw from the Test arena.

Away from the pressure that comes with assembling a team that can compete favourably with the best in the world, they took time to develop their game, spreading it across the country and boosting the players’ ranks.

Crucially, they also healed the wounds inflicted by that spat and they extended olive branches to those who had turned against them, resulting in the return of the majority of the white players back into the fold.

Now, as initial results have shown, we have a team that can not only play in the Test arena but can win matches in that exclusive club and the big victory over Bangladesh was worth every year that has been invested in the journey back to the big league.

Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute have really done very well for their country, taking a lot of stick along the way as the game was used as a tool by enemies of this nation in a number of political battles, but remaining committed to their vision.

Their argument, from the word go, was that cricket’s long-term future could not be guaranteed, as long as the game remained exclusively a sport for the minority in the population, and the key was to bring in big black people’s participation.

Now, we have just seen the explosive arrival of Brian Vitori, a 21-year-old seamer who took five wickets on his Test debut, five wickets in his first One-Day International and another five wickets yesterday.

In taking his ODI tally to 10 wickets, in his first two matches, Vitori made history as he became the first player to do that, eclipsing the old world record held by legendary South African paceman Alan

Donald who took eight wickets in his first two matches.

When you consider that Vitori was a virtual unknown before the spreading of the game, through the franchise system, gave him an opportunity to play, you can realise the wisdom that was in the ZC leadership when they decided to make the game truly national.

Now, if we can produce a player as good as Vitori, the obvious question is how many other good, if not better players, are out there and have been waiting for an opportunity to showcase their talents?

We believe there are scores of others and what is just needed is for ZC to remain committed to their development vision and keep spreading the game and unearthing fresh talent.

But today is a time of celebrations as we mark the return of our nation back to the big league and thank all those men and women who fought hard, in the trenches, to get us to where we are today.

That is why we hail the ZC leadership, which until now had been blamed for destroying the game, for their vision and salute them for remaining committed to their grand plan rather than being diverted by those who claimed they were pushing a political agenda.

That is also the reason why we salute men like Heath Streak, Alistair Campbell and Grant Flower, who refused to fall into the bat of our enemies who wanted to use the racial card to destroy our cricket, and return to help and work for their country.

Their efforts are being rewarded today.

Now that we are back, the challenge is not just to be content with being in the big league but to keep playing better and competing well against the established nations, which is why the next matches against Pakistan and New Zealand would be key.

We have to scale the heights of the ’90s when we were known as a very competitive nation, when it comes to cricket, rather than being content with just carrying the label of being that team that only beats Bangladesh.

We have made a good start, on our return, and the challenge is to keep improving the standards and that is why we are cheered by the fact that we have a game that can still find gems like Vitori who will be there for the long haul.

Cricket is key in this country because it gives us headlines around the world and, when we successfully host nations like we are doing now, we also send a good message to all those enemies who spread the gospel that we are a shattered nation.

When we win, as we did in the first Test, it gives a positive image of our nation around the globe and that is why it is important that we keep getting better and better.

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National selector Alistair Campbell said Zimbabwe’s preparations for their return to Test cricket will stand them in good stead, but admitted that mental strength remained the team’s greatest challenge.

“Obviously there will be nerves flying around on our side because everyone will be watching how we are going to perform,” Campbell said.

“But the players realise the expectations and they would need to give a good account of themselves.

“Of course, there is going to be pressure on the boys as they may push too hard to impress.

“But in any professional sport you need to apply the mental strength and be able to play under pressure. In our case we have to improve on that part. I believe the more we play at the highest level the more we will be able to improve.”

Zimbabwe have played 33 ODIs against Bangladesh since their Test suspension including 14 in 2009 alone with Bangladesh having dominated those games, winning 24 of them.

Mohammad Ashraful is the only member of Bangladesh’s squad to have played a Test against Zimbabwe, however, a situation Taylor is hoping work out in his team’s favour.

“They have been playing over the years and they have always been improving, so have we behind the scenes,” he said.

“They know an awful lot about us in the one-day format of the game but they may not have the information they would have wanted as far as Test cricket is concerned, and we are looking to make good use of that.”

Despite Bangladesh’s supremacy over Zimbabwe in recent times, Taylor insisted there was little to separate the teams going into the Test, saying:

“We will take each session as it comes and play positively with a winning mindset. We know they will be up for it and so will we and we are confident that if we play our best cricket this is a winnable match.

‘They are a strong side especially when they are playing at home, but we are at home where we will make sure we put our conditions to good use.

“We should just make sure they are not as comfortable as they would want to be. We have a plan and if we stick to it we should win.”

Zimbabwe will also be bolstered by the return of wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu, one of their most experienced players and one of only two current Zimbabwe cricketers to have recorded a Test century.

Taibu has not quite fully recovered from the thumb injury that kept him out of cricket since the World Cup earlier this year, but said he was fit enough to play in both the Test and the limited-overs series that follows.

“It’s not fully healed but it is comfortable enough for me to play in the Test match and the ODIs as well,” said Taibu.

“It is a very important match and we will need all the resources we can get.”

The Zimbabweans have sought to test themselves against A sides from South Africa and Australia.

Campbell said Zimbabwe needed more exposure in order to develop as a team. He stressed, however, that there was no question of Zimbabwe’s readiness to face Bangladesh.

“We are really excited that we have more commitments coming up in the next two to three months.

Facing opposition that includes players like Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus should help raise our confidence,” said Campbell. – Cricinfo.

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Birmingham was hit by rioting and looting. And at Edgbaston, just two kilometres away from the centre of the city, India’s national cricket team got mugged by England. Not only were the visitors clobbered, they also lost their No.1 Test ranking to England, the country that introduced the sport to the world.

After one-sided victories in the first two Tests, England pulled off another emphatic win Saturday – this time by an innings and 242 runs with a day to spare. Alastair Cook’s career-best 294 helped England post a gigantic 710 for seven declared in reply to India’s 224. Then fast bowler James Anderson claimed four for 85 as India was bundled out for 244 in its second knock to give England a 3-0 lead in the four-match series.

“It’s been a goal of ours to reach the top of the rankings for a long time,’’ said England captain Andrew Strauss. ” It’s a great testament to everyone involved in the England setup and fills me with a lot of pride.”

India’s skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni stated the obvious. “We’ve not been up to the mark in this series and the margins of defeat have been getting bigger and bigger. There are areas we need to improve in the side … but overall to play really good cricket you have to be consistent and that’s what England have done.”

This was the most-hyped Test series in maybe a decade or so but India with its star-studded millionaire players surrendered without so much as a fight. It comes as no surprise that immediately following the loss Saturday, India’s governing cricket body announced it will launch a probe on the capitulation of a team that was No.1 for 21 months. Enough said about India.

Let’s look at what went right for the all-conquering England squad.

First and foremost, England played as a team rather than individuals and there lay the difference. Take the pace attack of Anderson, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan. They attacked as a pack, never allowing the Indians to grab the initiative. And then Strauss, Cook, Eoin Morgan, Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior treated the Indian bowling with utter contempt.

What happened to the great Indian spinners like Bishen Singh Bedi, Bagwat Chandrasekhar and Anil Kumble who terrorized the world with their guile? With the exception of Rahul Dravid, what happened to the other “great” batsmen? Opener Virender Sehwag rued his return from injury to Test cricket at Edgbaston by collecting “a king pair” – that’s two ducks in cricket lingo.

FIRE IN BABYLON

Local fans will get the rare opportunity of taking in Stevan Riley’sFire in Babylon, an 88-minute documentary on the dominance of the West Indies squad in the 1970s and 1980s. It is being screened for free at The Royal Theatre at 7 p.m. tonight. There is some outstanding footage of the Fearsome Four – Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall – who as the movie claims “brought the world to its knees and a nation to its feet” with their barrage of bouncers. No team ever dominated any sport as long as this particular group of West Indians that included the legendary all-rounder Garfield Sobers and batsman par excellence Viv Richards … Canada opens a two-day match against the United States Monday.

MENDIS MAGIC

Ajantha Mendis spun his way into the record book with the almost unbelievable figures of 4-1-16-6 to lift Sri Lanka to a 2-0 sweep in the Twenty20 series against visiting Australia. Australia, needing 158 for a win, collapsed after compiling 71 without loss and Mendis’ outstanding accomplishment is likely to stay in the book for a long time … In the first Twenty20 encounter it was the bat of skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan that whacked the Aussies. He scored an unbeaten 104 as Sri Lanka made 198 for three to propel the home team to a 35-run win … Australia bounced back to win the first of five one-day internationals, thanks to a furious spell of fast bowling by Mitchell Johnson who captured six wickets for 31 runs to dismiss Sri Lanka for 191. Aussies reached 192 for three.

ZIMBABWE A HIT

It’s been a bitter-sweet return to Test cricket after a six-year absence. The country withdrew from Test cricket after bitter disputes between players and officials and rules regarding selection of black players in a sport dominated by whites.

On the field Zimbabwe thrashed Bangladesh in a one-off Test at Harare, but Zimbabwe Cricket announced things aren’t all that rosy with its bank account, this despite a hectic summer schedule. Zimbabwe will play one Test against Pakistan and New Zealand and several one-day and Twenty20 matches in the next five weeks. “It costs us around $1.1 million (U.S.) to host a tour,” Ozias Bvute, managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket told ESPNcricinfo. “We only earn about $200,000 from TV rights, although it will be slightly less against New Zealand, and about $150,000 from sponsorship.’’

Bvute added India and England are the only two countries that could inject much-needed cash into Zimbabwe’s coffers. But India has a hectic schedule and England will not tour Zimbabwe because of ongoing political problems concerning President Robert Mugabe.

QUICK WICKETS

Michael Carberry stroked his way to a superb 300 for Hampshire but the English County match versus Yorkshire ended in a draw. Some fans will remember the name as he was capped for England but was then sidelined by injury. His South African partner Neil McKenzie hit 237 and the two put on 523 for the third wicket in a total of 599 for three, the third highest score ever recorded in county cricket. . . . Neil McCallum will call it a day to his international career with Scotland after today’s match against Hampshire to return to his job as a teacher.

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All 11 Zimbabwe players came together in a huddle after Robiul Islam was lbw to Jarvis in the third over of the afternoon session to seal a convincing win on the country’s second start in test cricket.

“It was a great honour and a privilege and I couldn’t have been happier to lead a great bunch of guys and work with the coaching staff we’ve got,” Taylor, who was man of the match in his first test as captain, said from Harare, Zimbabwe. “That made my job a lot easier and all the hard work the guys put in, I was very confident coming into this game.

“I’m overwhelmed,” he added. “That should have silenced some of our critics.”

With Bangladesh starting the last day on 112-3, Zimbabwe’s fast bowlers were rampant as they removed five batsmen in the morning session.

Abdur Razzak briefly resisted with a counterattacking 43 off 17 balls, but he was removed by Elton Chigumbura in the last over before lunch for the day’s crucial breakthrough to leave Bangladesh ” under coach Stuart Law ” 224-8.

Jarvis then bowled Shafiul Islam first ball after lunch and wrapped up the match with the wicket of Robiul to spark the Zimbabwean celebrations.

“I tried to instil a positive outlook and culture in the team,” Zimbabwe’s English coach, Alan Butcher, said. “I think people have responded well to that. There was no way were going to come here to just compete. We thought we could win.”

Zimbabwe cricket was hit hard by a player-board fallout that forced it to voluntarily withdraw from tests in 2005 amid a deteriorating political and economic situation in the country. Its best cricketers left to play overseas.

Four Zimbabweans made their debuts in this match, with former captain Tatenda Taibu, playing his 25th test, the most experienced player in a young team.

But left-arm seamer Vitori, just 21, had match figures of 5-122 and 22-year-old Jarvis 5-128 in their first tests as Zimbabwe’s four seamers took 18 of the 20 wickets. Chris Mpofu and Chigumbura shared eight wickets.

Bangladesh’s batsmen struggled against the pacemen in the battle of the two lowest-ranked test countries, making 287 all out in reply to Zimbabwe’s first innings 370 and then 244 after the host had declared its second innings on 291-5.

“I thought in both innings we didn’t bat well,” skipper Shakib Al Hasan said. “The wicket was a good one to bat on. We are disappointed with our batting.

“We thought if we batted two sessions properly [today] and we keep wickets in hand that would give us a chance but we kept on losing wickets and that cost us the game.”

Hamilton Masakadza had inspired Zimbabwe’s strong start on its return, making 104 for just his second test hundred ” and first since his debut a decade ago.

Taylor then put his team in winning position with his second-innings century ” a battling 175-ball effort after the Zimbabweans had slipped to 92-4.

It matched the century Dave Houghton made on his debut as captain in Zimbabwe’s original introduction to test cricket in 1992.

“[I was] happy just to get our team into a winning position and get the win … we wanted it more than Bangladesh,” Taylor said.

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Wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu has hit out at the way Zimbabwe cricket is run on the eve of their return to Test ranks against Bangladesh in Harare on Thursday.

Zimbabwe return from their self-imposed six-year exile in a one-off match after convincing the powers that be of their ability to again function as a full-member Test-playing nation.

The return of former players such as Heath Streak and Grant Flower to the coaching team has enthused outsiders that Zimbabwe are capable of returning to the competitive force they were at the turn of the century.

Taibu has, however, cast doubt over the goodwill over Zimbabwe’s return, claiming the country’s administrators had only “painted a house that is about to fall”.

“I don’t think much has changed really, the administration is still struggling to run cricket in the country well,” he said.

“For example, the guys haven’t been paid their match fees from August last year up to now.

“At the moment, I am sitting here without a contract, no one has got a contract; those are all things that the administration is struggling to deal with.

“When you walk around and you see a house that’s painted well, you will think that house is really standing strong but if does not have a strong foundation, it will fall down one day or another.

“Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has just painted a house that’s about to fall.”

While Taibu’s comments are worrying he is enthused about the ability of the current team, which will be led by Brendan Taylor for the first time, to overcome any perceived problems and test a Bangladesh side that will play its first five-day game in 14 months.

“To see the guys running in and bowling and hitting a lot of balls in the nets it really shows that the guys have got the country at heart,” he said.

“We are on the verge of a Test match and no one has got a contract, no one knows what we will get paid, but the guys love their country and they can’t see cricket drop like that.”

Bangladesh have arrived in Zimbabwe looking to impress under new coach Stuart Law after he was appointed last month.

Law has identified the need to strengthen the Tigers’ mental approach to the longer form, as he looks to make a winning start.

“It’s not a skill problem as I’ve seen. The players are highly skilled,” said Law, who could hand debuts to Nasir Hossain and Shuvugato Hom.

“It’s the mental approach that has to change in Test cricket. They have to find a tempo that suits Test cricket with their batting.

“If we can find the right tempo, we can post scores that the bowlers can bowl at.

“I’ve set a challenge for us to bat 120 overs in the first innings. If we can do that, 350-plus should be an achievable target.”

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Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie has agreed to return to Zimbabwe for a second season as head coach of the Midwest Rhinos.

Gillespie was one of two high-profile coaching appointments last year, but was the only one to see out his contract after former South Africa paceman Allan Donald upped sticks and left the Mountaineers halfway through the season.

The 36-year-old Gillespie’s decision is a huge boost for Zimbabwe cricket as the franchise system heads into its third season, and officials have been impressed with his commitment.

Not only has he taken his family halfway round the world, but he also turned down an invitation to apply for the position of New Zealand bowling coach just days after giving his word to the Rhinos that he would return.

Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie has agreed to return to Zimbabwe for a second season as head coach of the Midwest Rhinos.

Gillespie was one of two high-profile coaching appointments last year, but was the only one to see out his contract after former South Africa paceman Allan Donald upped sticks and left the Mountaineers halfway through the season.

The 36-year-old Gillespie’s decision is a huge boost for Zimbabwe cricket as the franchise system heads into its third season, and officials have been impressed with his commitment.

Not only has he taken his family halfway round the world, but he also turned down an invitation to apply for the position of New Zealand bowling coach just days after giving his word to the Rhinos that he would return.

This season he’ll be taking things a step further by basing himself and his family in the small town of Kwekwe, where the Rhinos play their home games, rather than in the capital Harare.

“It’s great to have Jason coming back because he started his coaching career out here in Zimbabwe and he took a chance by bringing his family out,” Rhinos chief executive Kenyon Ziehl told Cricket365 . “He enjoyed Kwekwe and for him to now want to move his family down to Kwekwe is a huge plus for us as Zimbabweans.

“His method of using short, sharp training sessions and then going to relax and discuss the game suits our players, as does his attitude. We grew up as sportsmen with the ethos that where there’s a will there’s a way, and I think that’s how he got to where he did in the international game, and how a lot of Australian players achieved what they did.”

The contrast in characters between Gillespie and Donald has been highlighted by events in recent months. Having left the Mountaineers in December, Donald went on to mentor New Zealand’s bowlers at the World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals.

A few months later he agreed to take the role full time, only to renege on that when former teammate Gary Kirsten asked him to join the new South African coaching setup.

With the bowling coach position once again vacant, New Zealand’s director of cricket John Buchanan approached Gillespie.

“John asked if I would be interested in getting involved in New Zealand cricket and basically said that he would like me to apply for the job and would like to have me around,” Gillespie told Cricket365 over the phone from Australia. “But once I’d given my word to Kenyon and (Rhinos director) Ken Connolly – two guys I have a lot of respect for – I wasn’t going to go back on that.

“You have to remember they gave me the opportunity to be a first-class coach so I’m indebted to them and Zimbabwe cricket. I obviously wanted to repay that faith and go back to carry on the work I did last season.”

Naturally, Gillespie’s honesty and integrity was well received back in Zimbabwe.

“That’s the standing of the man and the character of the person,” said Ziehl. “In today’s world it speaks mountains for him.”

The Rhinos were beaten finalists in both the Twenty20 and 40-over competitions last season, and narrowly missed out on a place in the Logan Cup final after they finished in third place.

Gillespie explained that he had unfinished business in Zimbabwe, and had also turned down job offers in Australia to continue with the Rhinos.

“I didn’t feel that one season was enough,” he said. “I put a lot of ideas and preparations in place last season and I feel that there’s now a great opportunity to make serious progress, and I want to be a part of that.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time in Zimbabwe and I think there’s a lot of potential there so I want to help some individual players achieve their dream of playing for Zimbabwe, and if we win a trophy or two along the way then that would be fantastic.”

Tristan Holme

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Paul Chimudzi, the CBZ Bank Executive for Corporate Banking, said the deal consolidated their partnership with Zimbabwe Cricket and demonstrated their commitment to developing the game in this country.

CBZ Bank were the officials sponsors of the Zimbabwe team at the ICC World Cup in the Indian sub-continent this year where their brand was taken onto a global scale.

“In line with our vision of growth, through continuous improvement and successful partnerships, the continued sponsorship of the Zimbabwe National Cricket team is born out of the desire to enhance the sport to high levels of professionalism,” said Chimudzi.

“Our involvement with development of cricket in Zimbabwe started in 2010 where CBZ Bank was the official sponsor of the Zimbabwe national cricket team. The bank entered into a 14-month partnership with Zimbabwe Cricket leading to the 2011 World Cup. Today’s event, therefore marks our continued commitment to developing talent, competition and providing entertainment to all Zimbabweans through cricket.

“Through the ODI national team sponsorship, we as the people’s Bank have been offered an opportunity to uphold a positive presence and impact in the communities that we serve.

“As such it is my privilege and honour to unveil the CBZ bank sponsorship package for the ODI national team July 2011 to July 2012 edition to the tune of US$250 000.

“The ODI matches under this period include the following potentially exciting tours Bangladesh tour, Pakistan tour and New Zealand tour.”

Zimbabwe Cricket Deputy Managing Director, Wilfred Mukondiwa, said the journey has been a tough one for his organisation.

“We are excited to note that CBZ has considered renewing its commitment to the national team and cricket in Zimbabwe as this will not only benefit the current generation but inspire more legions of young future stars to come,” said Mukondiwa.

We are proud of our players and technical staff for what they have done for cricket in Zimbabwe.

“It’s their continuing long laborious hours and work ethic that inspire all of us the most, not many people realise the amount of devotion that inspire all of us the most, not many people realise the amount of devotion that these men and women give on a daily basis, let alone the immeasurable sacrifices for the nation.”

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Kevin Mapasure

FORMER Zimbabwe cricket team captain Tatenda Taibu has promised to play his best cricket and return the favour he got from current captain Brendan Taylor who supported him well on and off the crease while he was still captain.
In an interview with IndependentSport Taibu said his best knocks when he was captain were well anchored by Taylor and after playing a key supporting role in Taylor’s maiden Test hundred in a one-off match against Bangladesh that Zimbabwe won convincingly by 130 runs, the wicketkeeper batsman promises to continue working hard for his captain.
With Zimbabwe reduced to 94-4 on day three of the Test match and leading by 179 runs, Taibu and Taylor buckled down on day four to put in a 113-run fifth wicket stand and earn their team a stranglehold on the match.
Taibu said that after day three’s play the two had a little private meeting where promises were made and the strategy for the next day’s play was agreed upon.
“We had a little chat and I told him that I was going to do my best the next day and support him. The idea was that he scores quicker than me and I play the supporting role as we wanted to get more runs on the board and set a big score,” said Taibu. “I told him that I was going to do my best for him so that he wins this Test as captain because he supported me well when I was captain and he played a big role in some of my best knocks. He also told me that he bats better with me on the other hand and it is the same with me. We were confident that we would deliver come day four and we did, and were both delighted by each other’s contribution.”
Taylor was full of praise for Taibu and Craig Ervine, who came in after the latter had perished on 59 runs but with Zimbabwe edging closer to the comfort zone.
Ervine knocked 35 off 55 balls, continuing where Taylor had left, with the latter achieving his sought tone.
In their last series against the same opponents, played in Bangladesh in 2005, Taylor and Taibu combined to rescue Zimbabwe in rather the same circumstances in a drawn first Test at Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka.
Having scored 298 all-out in their first innings and with the hosts responding with 285, Zimbabwe was soon reduced to 37-4 in their second innings with Taylor and Taibu on the crease.
The two combined to accumulate 150 runs for the fifth wicket partnership with the then captain Taibu knocking 153 runs in an amazing batting performance that featured 19 fours and two sixes, his best yet.
Taylor made 78 runs with only four players making double figures for Zimbabwe who ended on 286 all out.
Taibu said the two have a good understanding and it makes it easier for them to bat together as they feed off each other in various ways.
Zimbabwe play their next test match at the end of the month against Pakistan and the right handed batsman has promised to work hard to ensure Taylor’s tenure is a successful one.

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“world cup 2011″ “icc cricket world cup” “icc world cup Zimbabwe cricket” “Kenya cricket” “Zimbabwe vs Kenya” “Kenya vs Zimbabwe” Highlights ” …

He had spent four hours at the crease, constructing a careful century, and then 30 overs in the field, standing at slip, marshalling the troops.

After his end-of-day press conference, he was asked to do a one-on-one interview and the only place for it was in that spot, sitting in front of a few bags of garbage.

It was not something the likes of Sachin Tendulkar or Jacques Kallis would have put up with.

Taylor did not just endure it, he enjoyed it. He listened attentively, shared anecdotes and even recommended the best steak and pizza places in town.

It was not a conversation between a sports star and a journalist, it was chat between two equals, because some cricketers understand that they are people first. Being heroes and celebrities will come later.

Such is the nature of being the little brothers in any sport.

There is enough reality being threaded through the structures of cricket in Zimbabwe to keep the players humble.

Whether it comes in the form of endless defeats in a quest for rare success, or internal strife in an administration sometimes ill-equipped to deal with the demands of modern sport, it’s the difficulty that makes them darlings. And, when they win, it gives the hackneyed expression “couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of guys” some proper meaning.

Zimbabwe’s cricketers are nice for more reasons than just their minnow status. After half a dozen years of uncertainty, not knowing if or when they would play in a test match, or if their fractured set-up would ever heal, sport is more than a game for them.

Since the white-player walkout in 2004, it has operated in a maze, dodging being used as a political tool, a representative of economic meltdown and an experiment in transformation.

Luckily, the last of those issues has been successful. Zimbabwe fielded seven black players in their test, five of whom were thrust onto the international scene prematurely when their white counterparts had left.

That they stuck it out long enough to be able to give a respectable account of themselves years later speaks to the fact that cricket has developed, even though it had to take a massive beating along the way.

Taylor is the only white player to have come through that same era having actually been a part of it. He refused an offer to join the rebels because he “just wanted to play cricket” and was part of the young side that also included Hamilton Masakadza and Tatenda Taibu, who were cannon fodder for the rest of the cricketing world. Now, he captains the side, which, picked on merit, is representative of the population and, for now, winning.

With Pakistan and New Zealand to come, the challenges will get tougher. With attitudes that put simple things like good manners, integrity and etiquette above being self-important, the team’s ability to meet those challenges can only get better.

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