Chisoro hopes to play regularly for Zimbabwe
Revelling in a dream debut against Afghanistan with a 3-wicket haul in the first ODI, Zimbabwean Tendai Chisoro aims to make a permanent fixture with the limited overs team. The 27-year old left arm spinner donned the national colours for the first time in the first ODI at Bulawayo, ESPNCricinfo reports.
"On your first match you'd like to do well and I wouldn't have asked for something better and I'm very happy about it," Chisoro said. "Hopefully I'll keep doing well and be a permanent member of the team."
Chisoro, who scalped 3 Afghani batsmen – Najibullah Zadran, Amir Hamza, and Dawlat Zadran – remains quietly confident about his future under the watchful eyes of Dav Whatmore. "I've been successful so far and I think last season I finished and did very well with the ball, and I think I have a bright future with my spin," he said.
Turning the tables
The Masvingo-born Chisoro comes with an interesting twist in the tale. The talented cricketer started off as a left-arm medium fast bowler but changed his style midway to become a left-arm spinner. Chisoro however claims, the change will help him bowl to his potential.
"In one of the games we played against Mountaineers, Dave Houghton was our coach, he just asked me to bowl left-arm spinners in the net. And I did alright in the nets and he asked me if I could bowl them in the games - if I could bowl spin and then pace on pace-assisting wickets. So that's how it started. I permanently tended to spin because I was struggling with my ankle," Chisoro explained.
The current coach of the Zimbabwean team Dave Whatmore is known to back youngsters, meaning Chisoro will have a serious chance to hold on to his spot in the playing eleven for a long time to come.
ODI series tied at 1-1
Along with Chisoro, Wellington Masakadza and Luke Jongwe starred as Zimbabwe registered a dominating win over Afghanistan in first of five-match ODI series at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Playing his tenth ODI, Jongwe took three wickets while youngster Masakadza, the younger sibling of Hamilton Masakadza put in a man-of-the-match display with four wickets for 21 runs as the hosts skittled out Afghanistan for a lowly 122. They chased down the total with eight wickets to spare, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
In the second ODI at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday, Afghanistan fought back to level the series 1-1 thanks to a brilliant hundred by Mohammad Nabi. Only Chisoro and Masakadza bowled well while the other bowlers faced the onslaught from Nabi and Co.
The third ODI will be played on October 20 at the same venue.