ZIMBABWE cricket team captain Elton Chigumbura is burning with the desire to make a mark in the England County championships when he takes up the challenge at his new club Northamptonshire.
Chigumbura was snapped up by the Steelbacks in March as one of their overseas players.
He left the country yesterday after leading the national team in his role as the new skipper in the Micromax Cup tri-series involving India and Sri Lanka.
Chigumbura succeeded Prosper Utseya, who resigned from the post last month, and met with mixed fortunes in the tri-series and the Twenty20 tournaments in his new role as the captain.
The 24-year-old right-handed batsman will, however, have to switch allegiance and prepare himself for fresh challenges at his new club in the Friends Providence Twenty20 tournament currently underway in the UK.
"Of course it’s going to be a great challenge but I think I am equally prepared for it.
"It’s a great opportunity for me to go out there and play at such a high level.
"I have to take up the challenge and perform well to send the message that we can play good cricket here in Zimbabwe," he said.
This will be the first time for Chigumbura to play in the English championship.
He will immediately take his place that has been temporarily occupied by New Zealand’s hard hitting batsman Lou Vincent and join Sri Lankan seamer Chaminda Vaas as the two overseas players at the club during the Friends Providence Twenty20 tournament.
The Zimbabwean export will also line up alongside former South African internationals Andrew Hall and Nicky Boje in the Steelbacks’ squad.
Chigumbura said he will always value the Zimbabwe domestic cricket which is going through a massive transformation phase and was happy with the terms of his contract, which allows him to return for Zimbabwe’s international matches.
He will be back in the country in September.
Chigumbura said he was impressed by the rising standards of cricket in Zimbabwe after commendable displays by the national team during the Micromax Cup tri-nations tournament in which they beat India twice and Sri Lanka once to reach the final.
"I was pleased by the way we started because we were all playing with one objective to win, which is a good thing.
"All the guys were positive and we had a talk with senior players to lead from the front and they have been doing it," he said.
Chigumbura has made a reputation for himself with his characteristic big shots that fits well in the Twenty20 format.
He also had a good run in the domestic competitions as the captain of franchise side Mashonaland Eagles, winning the Logan Cup and reaching the final of the Stanbic Bank Twenty20 tournament.
He is saying all the right things . All the very best Boom Boom...
. All the very best Boom Boom...