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Full name Tatenda Taibu
Born May 14, 1983, Harare
Current age 25 years 3 days
Major teams Namibia, Zimbabwe, Africa XI, Cape Cobras, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mashonaland, Mashonaland A
Also known as Tibbly
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Height 5 ft 5 in
Education Churchill Boys High School
Relations Brother - KJ Taibu

Batting and fielding averages
	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	24	46	3	1273	153	29.60	3110	40.93	1	9	154	5	48	4
ODIs	96	83	16	1791	107*	26.73	2785	64.30	1	9	124	19	84	10
T20Is	2	2	0	2	2	1.00	10	20.00	0	0	0	0	0	0
First-class	88	150	17	4694	175*	35.29			9	23			230	23
List A	157	141	30	3291	121*	29.64			3	17			146	25
Twenty20	13	13	0	188	89	14.46	154	122.07	0	1	17	4	3	4

Bowling averages
	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w
Tests	24	1	48	27	1	1/27	1/27	27.00	3.37	48.0	0	0
ODIs	96	2	84	61	2	2/42	2/42	30.50	4.35	42.0	0	0
T20Is	2	2	24	41	0	-	-	-	10.25	-	0	0
First-class	88		924	431	22	8/43		19.59	2.79	42.0	1	1
List A	157		503	356	13	4/25	4/25	27.38	4.24	38.6	1	0
Twenty20	13	2	24	41	0	-	-	-	10.25	-	0	0

Career statistics
Test debut	Zimbabwe v West Indies at Bulawayo, Jul 19-22, 2001 scorecard
Last Test	Zimbabwe v India at Harare, Sep 20-22, 2005 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut	Zimbabwe v West Indies at Harare, Jun 23, 2001 scorecard
Last ODI	Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura, Feb 2, 2008 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut	Australia v Zimbabwe at Cape Town, Sep 12, 2007 scorecard
Last T20I	England v Zimbabwe at Cape Town, Sep 13, 2007 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut	1999/00
Last First-class	Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI v Zimbabweans at Karachi, Jan 14-17, 2008 scorecard
List A debut	2001
Last List A	Zimbabwe v Eagles at Bulawayo, Mar 9, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut	Australia v Zimbabwe at Cape Town, Sep 12, 2007 scorecard
Last Twenty20	Kolkata Knight Riders v Delhi Daredevils at Kolkata, May 13, 2008 scorecard

Profile

Barely five foot tall and light on his feet, Tatenda Taibu is a throwback to the traditional style of wicketkeeper, and his importance to Zimbabwean cricket was underlined when he was named as vice-captain for the tour of England in 2003, when only 19 years old. Earmarked as the long-term successor to club colleague Andy Flower, Taibu was plucked from Churchill Boys High School to tour the West Indies in 1999-00, after impressing onlookers with his natural ability. Three months later he was in England, on stand-by at Trent Bridge after injury put Flower's dual role in doubt. He had yet to play domestic first-class cricket at this stage - his debut for Mashonaland had to be put on hold after he turned up at the wrong ground - but he has toured South Africa with the Zimbabwe U-19s, and was one of Zimbabwe's few bright spots in the 2003 World Cup and their tour to England later that year. A promising batsman, albeit with a penchant for cross-batted strokes, he is steadily improving at Test and ODI level.

In April 2004, he was appointed captain of Zimbabwe following the resignation of Heath Streak, and he led a woefully inexperienced by example in the face of repeated heavy defeats. But the pressure began to tell, and by the autumn of 2005 he found himself at the front of another players revolt, this time widely backed and against the general mismanagement of the board. It led to him being villified in the domestic press and threatened by some unsavoury elements connected to the board itself, and in November 2005 he announced his resignation as captain and his retirement from international cricket. Of all the high-profile departures from the game in Zimbabwe, none were felt so deeply as Taibu - a home-grown product, a world-class wicketkeeper-batsman, and the country's first black captain.

After spells in Bangladesh and England, he moved to South Africa later in 2006 and made clear his intention to sit out the four-year qualification to try to play international cricket for them. But it didn't work out, and to more than a few raised eyebrows he reappeared in Zimbabwe colours in mid 2007.
Steven Price July 2007

Feb 17, 2008

Zimbabwe's players celebrate their first win in the MTN Domestic Championship
© Cricinfo Ltd

Feb 17, 2008

Tatenda Taibu goes for a run out
© Cricinfo Ltd

Jan 30, 2008

Tatenda Taibu was caught and bowled by Shoaib Malik for 51
© AFP

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