Tatenda Taibu plans comeback to professional cricket

The 35-year-old Zimbabwean wicket-keeper batsman became the youngest ever Test captain in 2004 when just 21, but last played representative cricket in February 2012 before retiring from all forms of the game to focus on church work.

Overall, he turned out in 28 Tests, 150 one-day internationals and 17 Twenty20 Internationals.

Despite moving away from cricket in 2012, he made a comeback to the game in 2016 when he joined Hightown St Mary’s CC in the UK as player and coach. Then, in 2017, he was appointed convener of selectors in Zimbabwe, but was removed from the position in early 2018 after Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019.

Reports quoted Taibu as saying that he had made a comeback as a player because of his son, who has never seen him play.

“I have said many times that my life is not guided by emotion or well-set plans, but I believe I am led by a voice inside my heart which I cannot ignore,” he said in a statement.

“My son Tatenda Jnr also often asks how I used to play, now that he has taken a liking to the sport. He didn’t really get the chance to see me as he was too young at the time. I have stayed extremely fit and healthy and feel I’m still one of the fittest cricketers around, so I thought maybe I can let him see for himself how I can perform.”