Mbangwa seemed to like playing against Pakistan. His most important contribution as a player came one month later when Zimbabwe toured Pakistan. This was Zimbabwe’s second victory in Test matches. He then did the unthinkable and took ‘The Wall’s wicket yet again in the second innings and then took the wicket of Ajit Agarkar as India lost the match by 61 runs. Mbangwa took the wicket of Rahul Dravid, who had scored 118, in the first innings. Then in November that year, India played a one-off Test in Harare. But eventually Pakistan won the match and the two-match series 1-0. In the second Test, he took three wickets in the first innings. He played eight Tests for his country in 1998. Mbangwa’s career then had a steady progress. Zimbabwe lost the match by 10 wickets, but Mbangwa did well as picked up the wickets of Ijaz Ahmed and Wasim Akram in the first innings. His debut came in the second Test in Faisalabad on October 24. Then in October of that year, aged 20, he was selected in the Zimbabwe squad for the tour of Pakistan. In 1996, he went to the Madras to be coached by Australian great Denis Lillee. Mbangwa did well against them and they offered him a chance to play for their school after being impressed. At the time he was playing for the Matabeleland Schools team. His chance to prove his potential came in 1994 when English school team Dean Close from Cheltenham toured Zimbabwe. He played in the local sides in the junior levels. His start to cricket is rather interesting as he did not have any family background in the game. Mbangwa, born in Plumtree, Matabeleland, was a right-arm seamer during his playing days, who relied more on swing and seam than pace. Mpumelelo ‘Pommie’ Mbangwa is one of them. There have been many more who have had a lot of promise, but withered by the way side in international cricket. Not a country that produced players of international quality on a regular basis like their more illustrious neighbours South Africa, Zimbabwe have had their fair share of quality players.įrom the likes of Heath Streak, Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Paul Strang, Henry Olonga, Guy Whittall, Andy Blignaut, Tatenda Taibu, Dave Houghton, Neil Johnson, Douglas Marillier and many more - Zimbabwe have had a lot of good players to have played the game. Key to those have been some of their players. From starting their World Cup 1983 campaign with a promising win against Australia to almost winning against India a few days later, to beating the then world champions Australia in the 2007 World T20, Zimbabwe have had their moments in world cricket. Zimbabwe, as a cricket nation, were always there or thereabouts in terms of competing with the top teams. Shrikant Shankar looks at the relatively short career of the man called as ‘Pommie’ and his transition to become a well-known commentator. Mpumelelo Mbangwa, born June 26, 1976, was part of Zimbabwean cricket’s golden era from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Mpumelelo Mbangwa played 15 Test matches and took 32 wickets at an average of 31.43, something that is not bad especially when one considers the team he played for and also being in and out of the side throughout © Getty Images
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