It was spring of April 2000 and South Africa was
gripped by the shock that their beloved captain has been alleged of match
fixing, across the border in a much peaceful scenario few spectators have gathered
at Harare Sports Club to watch final between Zimbabwe’s top teams in their
domestic competition Logan Cup
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| Walks out for his last Match |
Mashonaland and
Manicaland was taking on each other in 1999-2000 final of the country’s highest
first-class competition. There was a buzz that Manicaland was giving the first-class cap to a young black cricketer who was deemed to be an exciting prospect
for the future. This 16- year old walked to open the inning with Neil Ferrera and
batted for 227 minutes and 170 balls scoring a fine half-century. The teenager
still studying in famous Churchill School was applauded for his temperament.
Next year in
February 2001, the boy scored a brilliant hundred for his new team Mashonaland,
at 17, he became the first black cricketer to score a hundred in Zimbabwe.
Impressed by his mental strength, the selectors called him for the test series
against West Indies. On July 29, 2001, at the age of 17 years and 354 days, he
went on to become the then youngest centurion in Test Cricket. This boy went on
to have the longest international career any Zimbabwean had, it was none other
than Hamilton Masakadza, the man who has stood tall amid thick and thin times
Cricket have seen in past 15 years in the Country.
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| A Player who always played with Dignity |
Masakadza made
his debut when the country was going among drastic changes. His debut injected
a dream among the black community to represent Zimbabwe, however, in order to
secure his future Masakadza took a break and went on for studies in South
Africa. He returned in late 2004 when the dark days for cricket in Zimbabwe has
just begun. His early career resembled somewhat Zimbabwean Cricket, amid one
victory there would be a number of moral damaging losses. Masakadza’s one good
score followed with a number of single digits, amid this Zimbabwe took a self-imposed break from Test Cricket for six years. Limited over was the only medium
through which cricketers could connect with the rest of the world.
2009 was
breakthrough year for Masakadza, after years of struggle, he managed to achieve
the consistency in his game. He made his first hundred against Bangladesh and
followed it with another two big hundreds against Kenya. While the opposition
was weak, but it did great amount of good to Masakadza, Zimbabwe seem to have
found their dependable troika in him, Brendon Taylor and Sean Williams.His
Sublime form in Tri-Series in 2010 was the reason why Zimbabwe made it to the
final.
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| Hitting his First Hundred 29th July 2001, with Stuart Carlisle here |
As Zimbabwe
returned to Test Cricket in 2011, Masakadza celebrated it with a brilliant
century. From July 2014 to Dec 2014 in 15 matches, he scored 5 half-centuries
but what was even more appreciable was that he scored a massive 356 runs in 6
innings at 59.33 on turning tracks in Bangladesh, in a Test series that was
completely dominated by spinners. At Khulna, he made a brilliant 158 which ended
as his best test innings. In 2017 when Zimbabwe won their first-ever series in
Sri Lanka, Masakadza led the side from the front making 258 in 5 matches at
51.60 which included a hundred at Hambantota. Later that year, he made a
resounding 147 in his last home test against West Indies, the same side he
played his first test and made his debut hundred.
Zimbabwe
meanwhile continued to slip both in terms of country and as a cricket nation, the
nadir came when it was suspended by International Cricket Council (ICC) last
month. Cricket in the country was already on the ventilator since March 2004 when 15
white cricketers went on strike as the game has never been the same since. However,
with ICC funding, it was ensured that at least the game does not die. Cricket
got sufficient funds to fight against all odds. However, the latest decision
meant that ICC’s patience with Zimbabwe was running out. Cricketers knew it
was time for them to start searching for an alternative career as there seemed
no hope. No one was ready to invest in the game. Sikandar Raza’s statement to
burn the kits was nothing but extreme frustration which the players were going
through. In such circumstances, Hamilton Masakadza at the age of 36 and after
18 long years of International Cricket, decided to bid adieu the game he has
loved since he was only 14. He knows that Brendon Taylor and Sean Williams
might follow him soon.
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| A young Hamilton in U-19 World Cup in 2002 in New Zealand |
On 20th
September 2019, Hami, walked out for one last time in reds to represent
Zimbabwe. His last inning echoed the passion he has had for the game, it was
his 71 that helped Zimbabwe to defeat Afghanistan for the first time ever in a
T-20 match. A man who never shows his emotions accepted that he was teary-
eyed in the morning of the match thinking it to be his last international
match.
For 18 years, he
has served Zimbabwe diligently, for 313 times he has stepped on the field
wearing his country’s badge fighting for its prestige. For 645 times he has
walked on to that 22-yard strip to maintain the spirit of the game he has loved
for more than two decades. And for unlimited times he has tried his best to
bring smiles on the face of his countrymen and cricket lovers across the world.
Its right time
for a cricketer who played the game with grace to walk down in sunset bowing
gracefully.
In to Hamilton Masakadza’s 18 years of Journey
l Played his first youth game in January 2000 against
West Indies, gets out for a duck.
l Played his 1st First Class game for
Manicaland against Mashonaland in April 2000 in final of Logan cup opens and
makes 53.
l Made his 1st first-class century for
Mashonaland in February 2001.
l Made his debut against West Indies in July 2001 and
scores century becoming then youngest at 17 years 354 days on 29th
July 2001.
l Returned to the side in 2004 after taking a break for
studies in South Africa.
l Made 3 centuries in just 2 months and becomes first
Zimbabwe player to score two 150 plus scores in 2009.
l Captains Zimbabwe in 25 One-Day Internationals,
winning none of them.
l Finishes at the age of 36 years and after 18-year
career on 20th September 2019, the longest by a Zimbabwe Cricketer.
l With 2223 runs in 38 tests and 5658 runs in 209 ODIs’
, he is the fourth-highest run-getter for his country in both lists.
l He is the highest run-getter in T20I for Zimbabwe with
1662 runs in 66 games.
l He was country’s first black cricketer to score a
century in both first-class and Test Cricket.
l He holds a Marketing Degree from University of Free
State, South Africa
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