Elton Chigumbura steps down as Zimbabwe skipper
Zimbabwe’s limited-over captain Elton Chigumbura has stepped down from the role of captaincy of his side, after Zimbabwe’s thrilling win in the final T20 international against Bangladesh. However, Chigumbura has stated that he would continue to be a part of the Zimbabwe national team.
The 29-year old felt that it was the right time to step down as skipper, but asserted that he would still be part of the team and continue to guide youngsters in the team line-up. "I have enjoyed the challenges that came with leading the team.
“Now I feel it's the best time to leave it to the next guy to lead us so I can focus on my game as a player. I am sure I’ll lead from the front as a senior player as I still believe I have more years of playing in me and of winning games for the team," he remarked.
Chigumbura has featured in 199 ODIs and 41 T20Is for Zimbabwe thus far, out of which he has captained in 80 matches. The all-rounder led his team to a win in 20 of those matches, which included Zimbabwe’s famous home wins against teams like Australia and New Zealand.
Though his win percentage against the opposition isn’t much, Chigumbura has managed to lift the spirit of the team on many occasions and has worked hard to erase the ‘minnows’ tag. In 2015, the skipper had bravely led the Zimbabwe side to the troubled nation of Pakistan. It was the first time that any international team had arrived in the country since the unfortunate attack on the Sri Lankan bus back in 2009.
But in more than one sense, Chigumbura stepping down from captaincy role could prove to be a blessing in disguise for the team, as the all-rounder hasn't been in good form off late. With the burden of captaincy gone, Chigumbura would be looking to get back to scoring more runs as well as taking more wickets for his side, as he has flawlessly done so on many occasions in the past.