Richard Ngarava takes charge of Zimbabwe Cricket Team, joins rare club of captains

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has appointed the left-arm fast bowler Richard Ngarava as the new captain of the Test and One-Day International (ODI) teams. Richard Ngarava replaced Craig Ervine as Zimbabwe’s Test and ODI captain following his resignation from the roles.

The young batter Brian Bennett has been appointed as the new vice-captain by the ZC. However, the leadership of Zimbabwe’s T20I team will remain unchanged, with star all-rounder Sikandar Raza continuing to lead the side in the format. Raza has already led Zimbabwe in 60 T20Is.

Zimbabwe Cricket names Richard Ngarava as the new Test and ODI Captain

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) confirmed that the new appointments were made during the board’s fourth-quarter meeting held in Harare, with the selectors and management backing the fast bowler to lead in Tests and ODIs.

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ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani said in an official statement, “Ngarava has shown remarkable growth as a player and leader over the years. He commands respect within the dressing room and has consistently delivered for Zimbabwe across all formats.

We believe he is ready to lead the team into its next chapter. Craig Ervine led with professionalism, resilience, and dignity during a challenging period. ZC is deeply grateful for his contribution to the team's stability and progress.”

Speaking on Brian Bennett’s appointment, Mukuhlani stated, “Brian's appointment as vice-captain reflects our confidence in his cricketing intelligence, maturity, and long-term leadership potential. He represents the future of Zimbabwean cricket.”

Richard Ngarava makes history as Zimbabwe’s rare captain

Meanwhile, Richard Ngarava scripted history by becoming Zimbabwe’s new Test captain. Traditionally, team captains are mostly batters, and in some cases, spin bowlers. Fast bowlers rarely get this responsibility, and left-arm fast bowlers are even rarer as leaders in the Test format.

When Ngarava steps on the field as Zimbabwe captain for the first time, he will join a very rare group of players in Tests. Ngarava will become the only seventh left-arm pacer to captain a Test side. Only six left-arm fast bowlers have captained a men’s Test side before.

Andrew Strauss of England, Australia’s Bill Lawry and Graham Yallop and Murray Chapple of New Zealand were among them. The only genuine left-arm fast bowlers to captain a men’s Test team over a longer period were South Africa’s Trevor Goddard, who led his side in 13 Tests, and Pakistan legend Wasim Akram, who captained in 25 Test matches.

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Richard Ngarava's career in numbers

Ngarava has been a key player for Zimbabwe ever since he made his debut in 2017. He has so far played in 11 Test matches and 145 limited-overs matches for his side. Ngarava has been Zimbabwe’s most successful and dependable bowler in T20I cricket.

The left-arm pacer is the leading wicket-taker for the team in the format with 108 wickets from 90 matches at an economy rate of 7.30. In 11 Test matches, Ngarava has claimed 25 wickets at 38.56, while he has picked 70 wickets at 30.68 in 55 ODIs for the team.

Ngarava also has franchises in T20 leagues around the world, including the ILT20 in the UAE, the Lanka Premier League in Sri Lanka, and the Bangladesh Premier League. These stints have helped him grow as a bowler and handle different conditions.