By Enock Muchinjo
Tatenda Taibu is quite happy to cut himself from news and the outside world at times.
For example, the former Zimbabwe captain was not even aware until last night that his childhood friend and long-time teammate Hamilton Masakadza had earlier this week announced his pending retirement from all forms of international cricket.
“Oh, Hami has retired?” reacted the former wicketkeeper in response to being asked by us of his thoughts on Masakadza’s move.
Another development that Taibu also needed to be reminded of by the global sports media yesterday was that his 15-year long record as Test cricket’s youngest captain had been broken by premier Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan.
Khan yesterday scripted history when he led Afghanistan in their one-off match against Bangladesh, which started yesterday in Chittagong. Taibu was the previous youngest Test skipper at 20 years and 358 days when he led home side Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Harare in 2004.
Spin sensation Khan was eight days younger yesterday when he skippered the new Test nation in the coastal Bangladeshi city. “To be honest, I didn’t think of such things,” Taibu told IndependentSport of the record he held for 15 years.
“Cricket is such a statistical game with lots of records, so I never paid attention to the record itself.”
Taibu (36) paid tribute to the young Afghan cricketer and predicted the fall of more such records as his in future.
“Records are there to be broken and as generations become wiser because of access to videos and past contents, they (records) will continue being broken. I’m happy for Rashid. He has a bright future ahead of him. I wish him all the success.”
Former Indian skipper Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi is third on the list after leading the Asian giants at the age of 21 years and 77 days. Others are former Pakistani speedster Waqar Younis at 22 years and 15 days, ex-South African skipper Graeme Smith at 22 years and 82 days, as well as Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh at 22 years and 115 days.
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