Zimbabwe appoint new Test and ODI captain

Zimbabwe pacer Richard Ngarava has been appointed as the new Test and ODI captain, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announced in their statement on 20 December.

The 27-year-old made his international debut in 2017 in an ODI against Afghanistan and has since gone on to become a key player in the Zimbabwe squad across the three formats.

"Ngarava has shown remarkable growth as a player and leader over the years. He commands respect within the dressing room and has consistently delivered for Zimbabwe across all formats," Zimbabwe Cricket Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said.

"We believe he is ready to lead the team into its next chapter."

Ngarava has featured in 55 ODIs and has 70 wickets to his name at an average of 30.68. In Test cricket, he has played 11 matches and picked up 25 wickets so far.

The board also announced the appointment of Brian Bennett as the new vice-captain of the team. Just 22 years old, Bennett has cemented his position across all three formats and is regarded as one of the brightest young talents. He has risen rapidly since his Under-19 side days and made his senior international debut in all formats by the age of 21.

"Brian’s appointment as vice-captain reflects our confidence in his cricketing intelligence, maturity and long-term leadership potential," Mukuhlani added.

"He represents the future of Zimbabwean cricket.”

Bennett has featured in 11 Tests and 11 ODIs so far. In the longest format, he has amassed 509 runs, including the fastest Test century by a Zimbabwean. In 50-over cricket, he has scored 348 runs, with a highest score of 169 against Ireland earlier this year.

The chairman also paid tribute to outgoing captain Craig Ervine, who first led Zimbabwe in 2020 during a Test match against Bangladesh and took over the ODI team in 2021.

“Craig Ervine led with professionalism, resilience and dignity during a challenging period. ZC is deeply grateful for his contribution to the team’s stability and progress,” Mukuhlani said.