Chigumbura resigns as Zimbabwe captain
Elton Chigumbura has resigned as Zimbabwe cricket captain to concentrate on improving his own form.
"I have thought long and hard about the job since my return from the World Cup and I have consulted my family and friends about it," Chigumbura told local newspaper Newsday."While some still think I should have stayed on, others agreed with me that I needed to concentrate on my own game and let somebody else lead the team," he was quoted saying.
The 25-year-old was appointed captain of the national team in May last year.
The Zimbabwe cricket authorities are yet to name the new captain.
| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Elton Chigumbura | |||
| Born | 14 March 1986 Kwekwe, Zimbabwe | |||
| Batting style | Right-handed bat | |||
| Bowling style | Right-arm medium | |||
| Role | All-rounder, Zimbabwe captain | |||
| International information | ||||
| National side | Zimbabwe | |||
| Test debut | 6 May 2004 v Sri Lanka | |||
| Last Test | 11 March 2005 v South Africa | |||
| ODI debut | 20 April 2004 v Sri Lanka | |||
| Last ODI | 9 June 2010 v Sri Lanka | |||
| ODI shirt no. | 47 | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| 2010– | Northamptonshire | |||
| 2006– | Northerns | |||
| 2005–2006 | Manicaland | |||
| 2002–2005 | Mashonaland | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Competition | Test | ODI | FC | List A |
| Matches | 6 | 113 | 65 | 164 |
| Runs scored | 187 | 2292 | 3825 | 3418 |
| Batting average | 15.58 | 24.38 | 36.08 | 26.49 |
| 100s/50s | –/1 | –/13 | 3/28 | –/20 |
| Top score | 71 | 79* | 186 | 97* |
| Balls bowled | 829 | 2971 | 7896 | 4345 |
| Wickets | 9 | 79 | 147 | 116 |
| Bowling average | 55.33 | 37.37 | 28.76 | 36.35 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 1 | – | 3 | – |
| 10 wickets in match | – | – | – | – |
| Best bowling | 5/54 | 4/28 | 5/33 | 4/23 |
| Catches/stumpings | 2/– | 36/– | 28/– | 50/– |
Playing style
He is an aggressive batsman, who generally bats in the middle order for his team. He is strong on the lofted drive and he consistently clears the fence in ODI with his big hitting in the final overs. He is also a useful seam bowler, regarded as being his country's fastest in the current squad, clocking at more than 140 km/h when at his peak. In the field he is an athletic outfielder, once taking 4 catches in an ODI against the West Indies at Queen's Park Oval.Career
Chigumbura made his first class debut for Mashonaland aged just fifteen and went on to represent Zimbabwe in two consecutive Under-19 World Cups. He took four wickets in their upset win over Australia in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. He made his international debut sooner than expected due to the absence of the 'rebel' players, playing his first Test aged just 18 during a tour of Sri Lanka. It was a demoralizing tour for Zimbabwe and Chigumbura looked out of his depth. He missed the majority of 2005 due to a stress fracture in his back which he picked up during a series against South Africa in March.Prior to Zimbabwe being barred from Test cricket in 2005, he went on to play 6 Tests for his country. He struggled with the bat, making five ducks in his twelve innings. He made one half century, an innings of 71 against Bangladesh in Chittagong. It turned out to be a good game for Chigumbura as he followed up his batting performance with a career best bowling return of 5/54
He has had more success in ODI cricket, playing some memorable innings. In May 2004 he scored 77 against Australia at Harare but arguably his greatest performance came later in the year against Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy. In a man of the match winning effort he made 57 with the bat and took 3/37 with the ball. The next year in a game against Bangladesh in Harare he put on 165 runs for 6th wicket with Stuart Matsikenyeri as they successfully chased down 246 to win with 5 balls in hand. Chigumbura contributed 70 off 68 deliveries. At the same ground against the same opponent in February 2007 he equalled his highest ODI score of 77 in an innings that included 7 sixes. At the conclusion of the game only 3 other Zimbabwean cricketers had hit more sixes than Chigumbura in their one day careers.
Chigumbura was part of the Zimbabwean squad for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. He registered new career-best ODI bowling figures of 3/25 and scored 38 runs from 34 balls in Zimbabwe's shock win against the West Indies on 30 November 2007.
On the 15 March 2010, Chigumbura signed for Northamptonshire county cricket club as an overseas player, giving him the chance to return to England after having a short spell at Eppleton Cricket Club.
