B-Metro Reporter
The Zimbabwe cricket skipper Hamilton Masakadza who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Tuesday has described his decision as an opportunity for the young generation to rise to the challenge of taking the nation to another level.
The 36-year-old player said he believed there was a rich talent of cricketers in Zimbabwe who could make their own history and take the sport forward.
BELOW ARE HIS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS (courtesy of H-Metro).
In February 2000, age just 16 and still a school boy at Churchill School, he became the first black Zimbabwean and youngest player to score a first-class century.
In July 2001, at the age of 17 years and 354 days, he scored 119 against the West Indies in Harare and thus became the youngest player in the world to make a century on his test debut.
He scored first ODI century on 14 August 2009, against Bangladesh in Bulawayo.
In October 2009, he scored 156 and 178 not out in a home ODI series against Kenya, thus becoming the first Zimbabwean to make two scores of 150 or more in ODIs, and the first player from a country to make such scores in the same series.
On 20 July 2014, along with Sikandar Raza, he set the record for the highest ever partnership for Zimbabwe in ODIs-224 for the first wicket-against Afghanistan in Bulawayo.
In 2015, he made first appearance in the senior ICC Cricket World Cup having previously made two appearances in the under-19 version (2000 and 2002).
On 29 September 2015, he became the first Zimbabwean to reach 1 000 runs in T20i cricket.
On 31 January 2016, he was appointed Zimbabwean captain in all three formats for the first time.
Following India’s tour to Zimbabwe in June 2016, he became the first Zimbabwean cricketer to play in 50 T20i matches.
On 5 June 2009, he achieved a T20i batting ranking of number five, the highest ever by a Zimbabwean in the format.
On 11 February 2016, he blitzed an unbeaten 162 for Manicaland Mountaineers against the Harare Metropolitan Eagles in the domestic twenty 20 competition, notching the seco0nd highest individual score in a T2o cricket.
During Zimbabwe’s tour of Bangladesh in January 2016, he set a world record of the most runs scored in a T20i bilateral series with a total of 222 across four games.
In July 2017, he was named player of the series after scoring 5, 41, 111, 28 and 73 to inspire Zimbabwe to their famous 3-2 ODI series victory over Sri Lanka- their first on the Island and first away series win since 2009
On June 2018, he was named Zimbabwe captain for the second time across all formats.
On June 2018, he became Zimbabwe most capped player with 289 matches across all formats.
On 3 October 2018 in the match versus South Africa in Bloemfontein, he became the fourth Zimbabwean to play 200 ODIs.
As of 3 September 2019, he played 209 ODIs, scored 5 658 runs including five centuries and 34 fifties, and taken 39 wickets
As of 3 September 2019, he played 38 tests, scored 2 223 runs, including five centuries and 8 fifties, and taken 16 wickets.
As of September 2019, he played 62 T20Is, scored 1 529 runs, including 10 fifties and taken 2 wickets
As of September 2019, he played 140 first class matches, scored 9 564 runs, including 23 centuries and 44 fifties, and taken 62 wickets.
