The Sunday Mail
ZIMBABWE all-rounder Elton Chigumbura is one of the Chevrons’ most polarising players.
With hordes of talent, and then some, it is the 30-year-old’s penchant for inconsistency that makes him a topic each time a tour comes around.
As the Zimbabwe men’s cricket team prepares to face Afghanistan for a five One-day International series scheduled for February 16-26 at Harare Sports Club, Chigumbura is trending.
His selection into final 15-man squad, and probably the staring XI for Thursday’s opening ODI against the Asian side, has dominated the run-up to the series.
But while it appears as though the general populous has turned their backs on the player, Zimbabwe Cricket’s selection panel still has plenty of confidence in the Mashonaland Eagles batsman.
The process of selection involves expert judgement, which can be difficult to write about, because the inner workings are often inaccessible to those on the outside.
Selection committees are infamous for failing to reveal the thought process that goes into identifying and selecting players for national duty.
The only information availed to the public are usually the few quotes or sound bites that come out of media conferences, something ZC is shying away from when announcing squads.
Their preferred choice of communication now is email.
However, former selector Robin Brown (2005) gave a little insight into the committee’s never-ending affair with Chigumbura. “You talk about Elton; I think he is too good a player to drop,” said Brown. “I know he hasn’t played that many Test matches recently, and some people are of the opinion that he shouldn’t be playing, but as a one-day cricketer I don’t think you can query his ability.
“On a good day, he is going to bowl five or six overs and bat at number five, six or seven, and that’s all you need from the guy. In the last series, he played here (Zimbabwe), I think he proved he is good enough to play for the national side.”
At 30, Chigumbura is one of the most experienced players in the team, having featured in the mix for over a decade.
He has played 14 Test matches, 205 ODIs and 47 Twenty20 matches, scoring 569 Test runs and 5 018 runs in the shorter formats. His first role in the team is that of senior statesman, and that encompasses offering guidance to the younger players. After that he has to take to the park and do the business.
And against the visiting Afghanistan, Chigumbura has little room for error: he has to step up to the crease and justify is continued selection.
