TATENDA TAIBU

'Tatenda Taibu' (born May 14, 1983, in Harare) is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He is a short, lively wicketkeeper and solid batsman, and is also capable of bowling right arm off spin.

Contents

International career

Teams

Career summary

Tests

One-day internationals

External links

International career

Taibu made his first-class debut aged sixteen, and his debut for the national team in 2001, aged just eighteen. In 2003, he was appointed vice-captain to Heath Streak on the team's tour of England, and he was appointed national captain in April 2004 following the departure of several 'rebel' players, who resigned from the national team in a dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket. He impressed many with his mature outlook and leading by example and was regarded as one of the few genuinely Test-standard players in a very weak side.
In November 2005, he held a press conference on behalf of 74 Zimbabwe players denouncing the management of Zimbabwe Cricket. This led to death threats against him and his family, as well as criticism of him in the Zimbabwean media. He also failed to agree a new contract with Zimbabwe Cricket. On 24 November, he ended his international career at the age of 22 and is expected to continue his professional career outside Zimbabwe. He played for the Cape Cobras in South Africa in the 2005/06 season. However, he has also said that he would be glad to play for Zimbabwe again if Peter Chingoka and Ozias Bvute resigned and "the right people" replaced them.
He made his return to the Zimbabwean side in a series against India A in July 2007, registering a century. The following month Zimbabwe hosted South Africa for a 3 games ODI series and in the final game Taibu scored a career best 107 not out. It was the first ever ODI century by a Zimbabwean against South Africa.

Teams

★ Namibia (2006)

★ Zimbabwe (current)

★ Mashonaland

Career summary

Tests

Test Debut: vs West Indies, Bulawayo, 2001

Latest Test: vs South Africa, Centurion, 2004-2005

★ Taibu's best Test batting score of 153 was against Bangladesh, Dhaka, 2004-2005

★ His best Test bowling figures of 1 for 27 came against Sri Lanka, Harare, 2004

★ He captained Zimbabwe in ten Tests: nine losses, one draw

★ Taibu holds the record for most runs in an innings without conceeding a bye, when Sri Lanka scored 713/3d in 2004. Incidentally all 3 wickets in that innings were caught by Taibu

One-day internationals

ODI Debut: vs West Indies, Harare, 2001

Latest ODI: vs South Africa, Harare, 2007

★ Taibu's best ODI batting score of 107 not out was against South Africa, Harare , 2007

★ His best ODI bowling figures of 2 for 42 came against Sri Lanka, Harare, 2004

★ He captained Zimbabwe in 29 ODIs: two wins, twenty-seven losses

External links

★ Cricinfo profile on Tatenda Taibu

★ HowSTAT! statistical profile on Tatenda Taibu

★ Scorecard of one of Taibu's best games at Cricmania

★ News of Taibu's resignation at Cricinfo

★ Subsequent interview with Taibu at Cricinfo