Vusi Sibanda quits Mountaineers to play for Cleethorpes CC

[Black Mamba]

UK: CLEETHORPES Cricket Club have moved quickly to secure a replacement for Roshen Silva as their overseas player for 2017 – with a vastly experienced international player heading to Chichester Road.
Terms have now been agreed with 33-year-old Vusi Sibanda, an opening batsman from Zimbabwe who has played in 127 ODIs after hitting a half-century against West Indies on debut as a teenager.
A committee headed by Paul Hewstone followed up a recommendation and completed the process inside a few days.
Sibander, described by the Zimbabwe Herald as a batsman with a positive and aggressive style, has hit two ODI centuries for his country – an achievement that could have been more impressive if he had not been dismissed in the 90s on four different occasions.
He has also made 26 appearances in T20 matches for his country, and in the 2014 World T20 competition he smashed a final ball six to clinch a dramatic victory against the Netherlands.
Although a one-day specialist, he has played in 14 Test Matches, with a personal best score of 93 which he made against New Zealand.
In 2007, he went to Australia with the intention of playing Grade Cricket.
urning out for Strathfield Cricket Club in the Shires Competition, Sibanda hit consecutive centuries before being dismissed for 96 in his third game.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported in April 2007 that NSW Chief Executive Dave Gilbert – the former Australia and Lincolnshire opening bowler – was intrigued at having a young international cricketer in his playing ranks.
He was soon snapped up by Eastern Suburbs and sampled Sydney Grade Cricket, playing alongside Test stars Brad Haddin and David Warner, in what is considered one of the strongest leagues in the world.
At that time Sibanda said: "I can feed off these players and gain a lot of experience to better my game."
Returning to Zimbabwe, he soon became a regular member of their one-day side, and collected three man of the match awards before being judged Man of the Series against Bangladesh in 2013.
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He completed his last Test in 2014 and played his last ODI in June last year when he was his side's top scorer with 38 against India.
He has played against England just once, and scored 28 before being dismissed by Freddie Flintoff.
In that game at Edgbaston in 2004, he claimed one of his three international wickets when he dismissed Vikram Solanki.
Aside from internationals, Sibanda has hit 18 centuries while accumulating 7,467 first class runs with a top score of 217, and has claimed 38 wickets – he is also a highly qualified coach with captaincy experience in the first class game.
This, coupled with his playing ability, could prove to be a great asset for the young Cleethorpes side

[The Robot]

Great News, all useless " underperformed " should follow Sibanda. He was blocking a place for a youngstar in " Mountaineers " and was also getting selected to play for Zimbabwe A & Zimbabwe Emerging Side at an age of 33.


Milton Shumba should be picked for Mountaineers, he has skills and will improve more if gets chance to play franchise cricket.

[TapsC]

can't blame him.. he needs to start thinking of a future after ZC and he isn't on a lucrative national contract.. I would have gone the Mupariwa route if I was him and gotten a multiple year visa

[Black Mamba]

can't blame him.. he needs to start thinking of a future after ZC and he isn't on a lucrative national contract.. I would have gone the Mupariwa route if I was him and gotten a multiple year visa

ZC does'nt need him anymore. He has been struggling for last four years.

[tawac]

What a loose to the domestic game. That write up clearly show what potential the guy had as a player and perhaps that could have rubbed off on the next general. Zimbabwe always had this problem of loosing the experienced lot. Just imagine what Andy Flower playing for a team like the Old Winstonians did for old these youngsters Vusi included.

[Robbo]

It doesn't help that the Zimbabwe domestic season is running well into the English domestic season. There must be a few other players with a similar dilemma. Surely it would have made more logic to run the domestic season from say September/October and get it done by March.

Mind you, Vusi will a good time in Cleethorpes on a Saturday night once cricket has finished....

[Detective RDS]

I thought Vusi would play Zimbabwean domestic season to push for a spot and guide the young players. Alas !