Chamunorwa Justice "Chamu" Chibhabha (born 9 September 1986) is a Zimbabwean cricketer who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm medium pace. In January 2020, Zimbabwe Cricket named him as the captain of Zimbabwe's One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) squads on an interim basis.[1]

Chamu Chibhabha
Personal information
Full name
Chamunorwa Justice Chibhabha
Born (1986-09-06) 6 September 1986 (age 38)
Masvingo, Zimbabwe
NicknameCham
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleAll-rounder
RelationsJulia Chibhabha (sister)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 96)28 July 2016 v New Zealand
Last Test12 February 2023 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 88)31 August 2005 v New Zealand
Last ODI23 January 2023 v Ireland
ODI shirt no.33
T20I debut (cap 2)28 November 2006 v Bangladesh
Last T20I10 November 2020 v Pakistan
T20I shirt no.33
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2006–presentSoutherns
2003–2005Mashonaland
Career statistics
Competition ODI T20I FC LA
Matches 109 36 109 245
Runs scored 2,474 667 5,423 6,127
Batting average 23.12 19.05 27.95 26.75
100s/50s 0/16 0/5 7/28 4/38
Top score 99 67 149 155*
Balls bowled 1,679 323 6,751 3,750
Wickets 35 14 124 92
Bowling average 46.60 32.50 30.98 35.32
5 wickets in innings 0 0 2 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0
Best bowling 4/25 3/18 5/66 4/25
Catches/stumpings 34/– 9/– 61/– 80/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 12 February 2023

Domestic career

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Chibhabha made his maiden first-class century at Harare against Sri Lanka A. The match was drawn, and he made 40 and 103. In his previous first-class match, against South Africa Academy, he made 98 before being run out.

He was the leading wicket-taker for the Mashonaland Eagles in the 2018–19 Logan Cup, with sixteen dismissals in five matches.[2] In December 2020, he was named as the captain of the Eagles for the 2020–21 Logan Cup.[3][4]

Personal life

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His sister Julia Chibhabha also plays international cricket for the Zimbabwe national women's team.[5] She was captain for Zimbabwe's World Cup qualifiers in Pakistan in November 2007.[6]

International career

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Chibhabha made a duck on international debut, against New Zealand during the 2005–06 Videocon Tri–Series. Chibhabha has also played first class matches for Mashonaland, and earned a recall to the national side in April 2006, when the team toured West Indies. In the first ODI, he top scored with 55, but his six overs cost thirty runs, and Zimbabwe lost by five wickets.

Chibhabha showed excellent talent during the Indian tour of Zimbabwe in 2015. He was the highest run scorer in the twenty20 series and Zimbabwe won their first Twenty20 International against India. He top scored in this match with 67 and earned man of the match and man of the series as well.

In July 2016 he was named in Zimbabwe's Test squad for their series against New Zealand.[7] On 28 July 2016 he made his Test debut for Zimbabwe against New Zealand.[8] He played in the most ODIs for Zimbabwe before making his Test debut.[9]

He's also having the joint record for taking the most catches by a substitute fielder in a T20I innings, along with Jeetan Patel, Eoin Morgan, Hashim Amla, Johnson Charles and Jonathan Carter.[10]

In June 2018, he was named in a Board XI team for warm-up fixtures ahead of the 2018 Zimbabwe Tri-Nation Series.[11]

Chibhabha was the last batsman, and the only Zimbabwe player, to be out handled the ball in an international match, before that mode of dismissal was abolished in 2017.

Following an almost two-year absence from Test cricket, Zimbabwe would schedule West Indian cricket team in Zimbabwe in 2022–23 to be played in February 2023, and Chibhabha would be named in the squad, going on to play his first test in five and a half years in the 1st Test.

References

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  1. ^ "Sean Williams Zimbabwe's new Test captain; Chamu Chibhabha to lead in ODIs and T20Is". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  2. ^ "LLogan Cup, 2018/19 – Mashonaland Eagles: Batting and bowling averages". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Logan Cup first class cricket competition gets underway". The Zimbabwe Daily. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Logan Cup starts in secure environment". The Herald. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  5. ^ Cricinfo – Players and Officials – Julia Chibhabha
  6. ^ Cricinfo – Zimbabwe women go into camp
  7. ^ "Cremer to lead Zimbabwe in Tests against New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo. 21 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  8. ^ "New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe, 1st Test: Zimbabwe v New Zealand at Bulawayo, Jul 28-Aug 1, 2016". ESPNcricinfo. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Players who have featured in the most ODIs before their Test debut". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  10. ^ "Records | Twenty20 Internationals | Fielding records | Most catches by a substitute in an innings | ESPN Cricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  11. ^ "Graeme Cremer, Sikandar Raza left out of T20 practice matches". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
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