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Full name Tatenda Taibu
Born May 14, 1983, Harare
Current age 25 years 146 days
Major teams Namibia,Zimbabwe,Africa XI,Cape Cobras,Kolkata Knight Riders,Mashonaland,Mashonaland A
Also known as Tibbly
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Height
5 ft 5 in
Education Churchill Boys High School
Relations Brother - KJ Taibu
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
4s
6s
Ct
St
Tests
24
46
3
1273
153
29.60
3110
40.93
1
9
154
5
48
4
ODIs
96
83
16
1791
107*
26.73
2785
64.30
1
9
124
19
84
10
T20Is
2
2
0
2
2
1.00
10
20.00
0
0
0
0
0
0
First-class
88
150
17
4694
175*
35.29
9
23
230
23
List A
159
143
30
3336
121*
29.52
3
17
146
25
Twenty20
13
13
0
188
89
14.46
154
122.07
0
1
17
4
3
4
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
24
1
48
27
1
1/27
1/27
27.00
3.37
48.0
0
0
0
ODIs
96
2
84
61
2
2/42
2/42
30.50
4.35
42.0
0
0
0
T20Is
2
2
24
41
0
-
-
-
10.25
-
0
0
0
First-class
88
924
431
22
8/43
19.59
2.79
42.0
1
1
0
List A
159
515
368
13
4/25
4/25
28.30
4.28
39.6
1
0
0
Twenty20
13
2
24
41
0
-
-
-
10.25
-
0
0
0
Career statistics
Test debut
Zimbabwe v West Indies at Bulawayo, Jul 19-22, 2001 scorecard
Last Test
Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Sep 20-22, 2005 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
Zimbabwe v West Indies at Harare, Jun 23, 2001 scorecard
Last ODI
Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura, Feb 2, 2008 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut
Australia v Zimbabwe at Cape Town, Sep 12, 2007 scorecard
Last T20I
England v Zimbabwe at Cape Town, Sep 13, 2007 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut
1999/00
Last First-class
Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI v Zimbabweans at Karachi, Jan 14-17, 2008 scorecard
List A debut
2001
Last List A
Northerns (Zimbabwe) v Easterns (Zimbabwe) at Harare, Jun 2, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut
Australia v Zimbabwe at Cape Town, Sep 12, 2007 scorecard
Last Twenty20
Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils at Kolkata, May 13, 2008 scorecard
Profile
Barely five foot tall and light on his feet, Tatenda Taibu is a throwback to the traditional style of wicketkeeper, and his importance to Zimbabwean cricket was underlined when he was named as vice-captain for the tour of England in 2003, when only 19 years old. Earmarked as the long-term successor to club colleague Andy Flower, Taibu was plucked from Churchill Boys High School to tour the West Indies in 1999-00, after impressing onlookers with his natural ability. Three months later he was in England, on stand-by at Trent Bridge after injury put Flower's dual role in doubt. He had yet to play domestic first-class cricket at this stage - his debut for Mashonaland had to be put on hold after he turned up at the wrong ground - but he has toured South Africa with the Zimbabwe U-19s, and was one of Zimbabwe's few bright spots in the 2003 World Cup and their tour to England later that year. A promising batsman, albeit with a penchant for cross-batted strokes, he is steadily improving at Test and ODI level.
In April 2004, he was appointed captain of Zimbabwe following the resignation of Heath Streak, and he led a woefully inexperienced by example in the face of repeated heavy defeats. But the pressure began to tell, and by the autumn of 2005 he found himself at the front of another players revolt, this time widely backed and against the general mismanagement of the board. It led to him being villified in the domestic press and threatened by some unsavoury elements connected to the board itself, and in November 2005 he announced his resignation as captain and his retirement from international cricket. Of all the high-profile departures from the game in Zimbabwe, none were felt so deeply as Taibu - a home-grown product, a world-class wicketkeeper-batsman, and the country's first black captain.
After spells in Bangladesh and England, he moved to South Africa later in 2006 and made clear his intention to sit out the four-year qualification to try to play international cricket for them. But it didn't work out, and to more than a few raised eyebrows he reappeared in Zimbabwe colours in mid 2007.
Steven Price July 2007
