Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza talks about the changes he has made to his batting style, and where his country’s cricket stands
Interview by Mohammad Isam22-May-2016How did you go from being dropped in October to becoming the Zimbabwe captain in all formats in January this year?
It is always difficult when you are left out of the team, especially once you have been playing for this long. But I also understood that it was to do with a little bit of reform with the new board that was in place. They wanted to see a bit of change and a few other guys being tried. My performance too hadn’t been good enough at the time. What made it easier to deal with was knowing that the board wanted to see a few new guys. But at least I was playing in the A side and I had a chance to make a comeback.Just before I got dropped, I hadn’t been scoring too many runs, but I wasn’t feeling in bad touch. I was playing well but not doing it for long enough. I knew that once I got back, I would start to score big again.Your first assignment as captain was the World T20. You didn’t qualify for the main draw. Did that discourage you and change your plans for the year?
I don’t think it changes the plans, but obviously it was really disappointing [not to qualify]. It did set us back quite a bit. We did a lot of planning in the run-up to the World T20 to qualify for the main round. We didn’t qualify for the last one [in 2014] as well, and it was one of the biggest things we had targeted.
“Andy Flower has always been a very big influence, just watching how he blossomed and improved as a cricketer and how he went to the top of the rankings”
It was a big blow for us. It was quite hard to come back from this, but we have had a bit of time off now. I am sure the guys will put it behind them and play well against India in the upcoming series.Zimbabwe haven’t been playing a lot of Test cricket lately. Is that worrying?
It was very busy with the shorter versions of the game, with the 50-over World Cup not so long ago and the World T20 having just happened, so it was a little difficult for them [the board] to organise Test matches. But there are Tests coming up in July and two series before the end of this year.You started your career with a century on Test debut and then went off to university. Then you had to be rushed back in 2004 because Zimbabwe lost a lot of players. What were those days like?
There was always a bit of expectation on me, especially after I scored the hundred on debut. There was quite a big void in the team to be filled. I was starting with other guys who hadn’t played too much international cricket. We were all starting at the same time, so getting back into that set-up was a bit more comfortable. These were guys I had played with all along.When I was in university there was some competitive cricket. I learned a lot about playing fast bowling. It really helped me develop my cricket while I was studying.What was it like when Zimbabwe stopped playing Test cricket between 2005 and 2011?
Obviously it was very hard. You want experienced guys, who lead you along, tell you and guide you in what you’re doing. We didn’t have that, so we had to learn it for ourselves. The coaches had a much bigger job then because they were playing the role of senior players while also being coaches.”I rate Tests as the purest form of the game. It is the most difficult, so I would have wanted to play a lot more Tests by now”•AFPIt brought us together and helped us grow and learn one another’s game quite early. We were introduced in the way that wouldn’t have been the most comfortable, but we had to take up the job and do it. The way the guys stuck it out, they did really well and managed to come through it. But it was a difficult time.You have played only 29 Tests in 15 years.
I rate Tests as the purest form of the game. It is the most difficult, so I would have wanted to play a lot more Tests by now. What happened then couldn’t be controlled really. We just have to take it from where we are. I look forward to playing a bit more Test cricket for Zimbabwe. We are getting some more games now.Has your batting philosophy changed over the years?
When I first started out, growing up with guys like Tatenda Taibu, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Vusi Sibanda, I was always the slower guy, whose job was to hold up an end while the others who had more flourish played shots. When T20 cricket came about, I thought that would be the end of me ().I surprised myself by managing to adapt to that format, survive and play as well as I have in T20s. My batting definitely had to change a little bit.Now you have a high strike rate.
I think what has helped is playing more. You start to learn how to increase your strike rate and play a few more shots. You add a few more things to your game.
“We have got some good fighters in the team, because being in the situation that we are in, you have to be a fighter and keep going”
I would be similar to Mushfiqur Rahim. I think he started off as one of the guys that held the team together, but now he is one of the main guys who has a high strike rate. I think it is about becoming a bit more dynamic as you get older.Who was your cricketing hero growing up?
I always looked up to the West Indies cricketers. Brian Lara was one guy I liked a lot. Also, Chris Gayle – I started watching him just before I started playing. He also came to Zimbabwe in my debut series and scored quite a bit against us. It was encouraging for me to see how he played.Andy Flower has always been a very big influence, just watching how he blossomed and improved as a cricketer and how we went to the top of the rankings. I looked up to his work ethic and how he helped us along. He even played club cricket just to help us. He taught us quite a bit.What do you tell your brothers, both of whom have played international cricket?
I try to stay out of what they do as much as I can. It is a little bit difficult for me talking to my brothers. I try not to be too involved, but I will help them now and again. I try to let them express themselves as much as possible and let them learn their game on their own.What is the essence of a Zimbabwe cricketer?
In this generation, we have a lot of allrounders. They are pretty athletic as well. We have had an athletic side in the past too. We have got some good fighters in the team, because being in the situation that we are in and being in the condition that we live in, you have to be a fighter and keep going.
