Tatenda Taibu

Tatenda Taibu

Personal information
Full name	Tatenda Taibu
Born	(1983-05-14) 14 May 1983 Harare, Zimbabwe
Nickname	Tibbly
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Batting style	Right handed
Bowling style	Right arm off spin/right arm medium
Role	Wicketkeeper
Relations	Kudzai Taibu (brother)
International information
National side	Zimbabwe
Test debut (cap 52)	19 July 2001 v West Indies
Last Test	26 January 2012 v New Zealand
ODI debut (cap 64)	23 June 2001 v West Indies
Last ODI	9 February 2012 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.	44
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2008–2012	Mountaineers
2008	Kolkata Knight Riders
2006–2007	Namibia
2005–2006	Cape Cobras
2000–2005	Mashonaland
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 28 150 114 231 Runs scored 1,546 3,393 6,804 5,426 Batting average 31.12 29.25 38.22 30.82 100s/50s 1/12 2/22 12/39 5/35 Top score 153 107* 175* 121* Balls bowled 48 84 924 569 Wickets 1 2 22 14 Bowling average 27.00 30.50 19.59 30.71 5 wickets in innings 0 0 1 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 1/27 2/42 8/43 4/25 Catches/stumpings 57/5 114/33 295/29 196/55
Source: Cricinfo, 14 February 2012

Tatenda Taibu (born 14 May 1983) is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He is a wicketkeeper and batsman, and can also bowl right arm off spin. On 6 May 2004, he became the youngest Test captain in history, when he captained his team against Sri Lanka.^[1] On 10 July 2012 Taibu, aged only 29, decided to quit cricket and focus on his work in church.^[2][3]

International career

Taibu made his first-class debut at the age of 16, and his debut for the national team in 2001, at 18. 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, making him the youngest Test captain in history.^[4]

He took a two-year break for Zimbabwe in from 2005 to 2007 when he played a season as the captain of Namibia and another season for the Cape Cobras in South Africa.

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 three-game ODI series and in the final game Taibu scored a career best 107 not out. It was the first ODI century by a Zimbabwean against South Africa.

On 20 February 2008, Taibu's contract was purchased by the Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League.

During 2010 Taibu's form continued and he scored 73 against South Africa as Zimbabwe were all out for 268. The South Africans chased down the total comfortably with Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers scoring centuries.^[5]

When Zimbabwe returned to Test cricket in 2011, Taibu was selected to play in their one-off Tests against Bangladesh, Pakistan and New Zealand despite making critical remarks of the country's cricket administration.^[6] He scored half-centuries in each of the three Tests.^[7]

On 10 July 2012, Tatenda Taibu called time on his career aged only 29.^[3] He said he would only do work for the church. Taibu told Zimeye: “I just feel that my true calling now lies in doing the Lord’s work, and although I am fortunate and proud to have played for my country, the time has come for me to put my entire focus on that part of my life.”

Teams

• Zimbabwe
• Namibia (2006)
• Mountaineers
• Mashonaland
• Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL 2008)

Career summary

He scored 1546 runs in Tests with 57 catches and five stumpings, while making 3393 runs in ODIs with 114 catches and 33 stumpings.^[3] He finishes as Zimbabwe’s fourth highest run-scorer in ODIs with the second most number of dismissals as a wicketkeeper, behind Andy Flower.

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 conceding a bye, when Sri Lanka scored 713/3d in 2004. Incidentally all three wickets in that innings were caught by Taibu

One-day internationals

ODI Debut: vs West Indies, Harare, 2001
Latest ODI: vs Kenya at Kolkata, India 20 March 2011

• 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
• He scored 98 for his side in ICC World Cup 2011 as their team won by 175 runs against Canada in Nagpur. Taibu played a splendid innings in must-win situation of World Cup.^[8]
• Became the 5th Zimbabwean to score 3,000 runs during his innings of 53 (74) against Kenya at Eden Gardens, Kolkata during the 2011 World Cup on 20 March 2011.

References

External links

• Player profile: Tatenda Taibu from ESPNcricinfo
• 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

Preceded by Heath Streak	Zimbabwean Test captain 2003/04–2005	Succeeded by Terrence Duffin
Preceded by Louis Burger	Namibia List A captain 2006	Succeeded by Louis Burger

v t e Zimbabwe Test cricket captains 1992/93: Houghton 1993/94–2000: Flower 1996–2002/03: Campbell 2000/01–2003/04: Streak 2001/02: Murphy 2001/02; 2001/02: Carlisle 2004–2005/06: Taibu 2011–: Taylor Italics denote deputised captaincy

v t e Zimbabwe ODI cricket captains 1983: Fletcher 1987/88: Traicos 1991/92–1992/93: Houghton 1993/94–2000: A. Flower 1996–2002/03: Campbell 2000/01–2003/04: Streak 2001: G. Flower 2001–2001/02: Whittall 2001/02: Murphy 2001/02: Carlisle 2004–2005/06: Taibu 2005/06–2006: Duffin 2006–2009/10: Utseya 2007/08–2009/10: Masakadza 2011–: Taylor

v t e Zimbabwe squad – 2003 Cricket World Cup 2 Whittall 8 Vermeulen 9 Streak (c) 10 Wishart 14 Ervine 18 Friend 22 Ebrahim 27 Murphy 33 A. Flower 42 Marillier 44 Taibu 68 G. Flower 77 Olonga 79 Hondo 99 Blignaut Coach: Marsh Alistair Campbell and Stuart Matsikenyeri were named in the original squad but withdrew from the tournament

v t e Zimbabwe squad – 2007 ICC World Twenty20 1 Taylor 3 Masakadza 12 Brent 14 Williams 17 Dabengwa 26 Sibanda 28 Mpofu 33 Chibhabha 44 Taibu 45 Matsikenyeri 47 Chigumbura 52 Utseya (c) 53 Mupariwa 58 Marumisa 65 Maruma Coach: Curran

v t e Zimbabwe squad – 2010 ICC World Twenty20 1 Taylor 3 Masakadza 6 Blignaut 7 Price 19 Lamb 28 Mpofu 30 Cremer 33 Chibhabha 44 Taibu 46 Sibanda 47 Chigumbura 52 Utseya (c) 65 Maruma 74 Coventry 77 C Ervine Coach: Butcher

v t e Zimbabwe squad – 2011 Cricket World Cup 1 Taylor 7 Price 14 Sibanda 19 Lamb 23 Panyangara 28 Mpofu 30 Cremer 44 Taibu 47 Chigumbura (c) 52 Utseya 72 Duffin 74 Coventry 77 C Ervine 86 Masakadza 91 Chakabva Coach: Butcher Sean Ervine, Tinotenda Mawoyo, Ed Rainsford and Sean Williams were named in the original squad but withdrew from the tournament

v t e Kolkata Knight Riders – current squad 1 Ladda 3 Kallis 4 Pattinson 5 Gambhir (c) 6 Shukla 8 Sangwan 9 M Tiwary 13 Shami 16 Morgan 21 Abdulla 22 Bhatia 24 Haddin 27 ten Doeschate 28 Y Pathan 36 Bisla 42 B McCullum 55 Balaji 58 Lee 63 Das 74 Narine 75 Shakib Coach: Bayliss

Persondata
Name	Taibu, Tatenda
Alternative names
Short description	Zimbabwean cricketer
Date of birth	1983-05-14
Place of birth	Harare
Date of death
Place of death