Hamilton- Best Black Zim Player ever??

[jaybro]

Now Hamilton has retired it's a great time to reflect on his career, although most of us feel he was a better player than his 'high 20's' suggest, IMO he is the best Black Cricketer Zimbabwe has produced.

Discuss -

[ZIMDOGGY]

Maybe?
Who is he up against.

Taibu will be alot of peoples choice. Taibu had fight but only averaged mid twenties with the bat and although was quick behind the stumps, he was mistake prone as well. Alot of times i never had him in my top 11, but hes up there.

Chatara?

Hard to judge as he hasnt played against proper quality in a while. If he did and kept up his 2 wickets an innings type figures, i would say it would be him, but i dont think he would be ale too. His bowling action is too wonky and air balloon manlike.

Prosper?

He can never be judged as he was a cheat so was on a non even level.

Elton?

Elton at his best was really good, it just didnt last long. If he retired early he would have had a great legacy and couldve won.

[Googly]

How’s this guy, Darren Stevens, for longevity!
He’s 43 and still going strong, just had his Kent contract renewed for another year.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_ ... cricketer)

Amazing all rounder, I see he played a season at Rhinos as well. I’d like to meet this guy, he’s been round the block a few times.

In theory we could have seen another 8 years of Hamilton if Stevens is anything to go by. The problem with him retiring is there’s no one to replace him
All these talents waiting in the wings would have stuck their hands up long ago if they were good enough.

I have a suspicion that ZC are going to delay issuing central contracts and that they’re going to downgrade them.

[jaybro]

Yeah I'd say it would be between these guys

Hamilton - Most runs & hundreds by a Black Zimbabwean

Vusi - Maybe the most talented? Who knows but definitely one of the most gifted, just a shame he couldn't produce enough

Olonga - First Black Zimbabwean player also had a few memorable moments like the 99 WC v India, 6 for against England & getting Tendulker a couple of times?

Taibu - Youngest ever Test captain (until recently) led the side admirably through tough times, like most of his peers he left plenty out on the field unfortunately.

Chatara - Probably not really in the discussion yet, but by the end of his career he'll likely have more wickets than any other Black Seamer & possibly bowler if he can go past Utseya.

Elton - Definitely Zimbabwe's greatest Black Allrounder, over 4000 ODI runs & 100 ODI wickets also had two stints as captain. A genuine match winner on his day although frustratingly those performances become very scarce in recent years.

Elton was definitely tracking to be the best but I feel his unwillingness to bowl & eagerness to move down the order frequently towards the end of his career really has killed his legacy as Dogg has pointed out. In years gone by he was a 140kph opening bowler & his three highest scores came batting @4. If he could have juggled both he could have been one of the all time legends.

[CrimsonAvenger]

Yeah, good analysis. It is ultimately down to Hamilton vs Taibu and Hamilton edges it for me, due to the weight of all those runs and performances that have won us test matches.

[Black Mamba]

Hamilton Masakadza is the greatest Zimbabwe Black Player and at present none could match even half of him.

Last Zimbabwe black player who caught an eye and had huge potential was Trevor Modondo.

Tarisai Musakanda had got talent but plays too much rubbish short, similar to Risabh Pant in mental approach.

[TapsC]

Looking at the MOTM thread I would say for now Hami is. Got a feeling Chatara might beat him out in the future because he probably has another 4 years in him. Thats if he stays fit. When he is on form he really is dangerous. Coming back from a broken leg is already big.

The next stage of his career will be the most challenging. The ODI league will mean that he will have to bowl against a full stregnth Australia in Australia next year and he will have to face a full stregnth Indian side next year as well. It will be very difficult to hide for a lot of guys from next year onwards. Also in a couple of years I believe Blessing Mumba and Matigimu will be pushing for his spot

[encore]

This is a very strange and unfortunately titled thread. Hami was Zimbabwe's best Test and T20 batsman for the better part of ALMOST TWO DECADES, and arguably its best in ODIs as well(a lot of the other players never even played T20s, and it was clear they would have either struggled or been wholly unsuited).

1.A Flower
2.P Strang
3.E Brandes
4.H Masakadza
5.D Houghton
6.H Streak
7.E Chigumbura
8.G Flower
9.B Taylor
10.T Chatara
11.T Taibu
12.H Olonga
13.G Whittall
14.P Utseya
15.A Campbell
16.R Price
17.T Panyangara
18.G Cremer
19.K Jarvis
20.M Goodwin

NB: I did not forget Neil Johnson and Andy Blignaut. We can get technical and the likes of Peter Rawson, Hick, Fletcher, Curran, Butchart and Malcolm Jarvis come into play here and there too. Of the later generation, Hondo, Watambwa, Barney Rogers, Sean Ervine, Rainsford, Williams, Mupariwa, Brent, Carlisle, Bryan Strang, Vusi, Huckle,Craig Ervine all have a few shouts too. First of all we don't know the parameters beyond "BLACK", which is simplistic(even in SA you have Ntini, Amla, Gibbs, Rabada and Philander who are already top 10 all time greats in a country where you would have least expected such a thing, and yet SA is younger than ZIM). However, all things considered talent, longevity, potential, quality of opposition FC, List A, T20(domestic & international), Full Internationals, batting positions, bowling positions, batting while keeping, fielding etc, it's hard to look beyond these 20 if you're being fair and factual. Guys need to familiarise with the history and rise of game in ZIM(which quite a few here actually do/did), stats - Howstat & cricHQ, changes in ODIs, now T20s etc, but also not forgetting a lot of the turmoil some of these players played through - pre and post-Rebels, plus Test suspension.

It's interesting that of the 3 players who left or took time away from the game for/in ZIM (domestic & international) for various reasons - Taibu, Taylor and Hami(not forgetting Panyangara), they played a big role in it. I'm pretty sure all 3, at those times were being talked into not playing for ZIM again. To some extent we've heard bits of it in Taibu and Taylor's cases(some talked BT back), but Hami will be very interesting - who spoke to him. Anyway, I doubt ZIM would have survived without these 3. They had the bowlers but would Vusi, Matsi, Sean, Chamu, Forster and Maregwede been enough? Maybe ... maybe not.

[zimbos_05]

Didn't have to read the post, just saw encore responded and knew he'd turn this in to an us vs them issue.

Right on cue, he delivered.


Back on topic, I'd say he edges it purely on his stats. I think in a different environment and situation, Taibu would have been very much up there. Also think though that in a different environment and situation, Hammy would have been a much better player than he was.

[Googly]

When Encore is on his meds and hasn’t been reading Black Panther pamphlets he’s pretty sharp. Ya the title was like a red rag to a bull, and fair enough.

The one criteria he uses is longevity, which is problematic when people have had their careers cut short for a variety of poor reasons, and others have had their careers extended for worse reasons.

No doubting that Hamilton was a really good player in his day.
The most talented batsman this country has ever produced, black white or whatever colour you like is Tawanda Muyeye, right up there with Graeme Hick at the same age, maybe better. It will be a cold day in hell before Zim finds another like him.