Zimbabwe named Johnathan Campbell as captain for the one-off Test against Ireland, which began on February 6. Regular captain Craig Ervine pulled out of the match due to a family emergency and Zimbabwe named Johnathan as his replacement as the leader. Notably, the 27-year-old has experience leading in domestic cricket and Zimbabwe wanted to capitalise on that and also on his brilliant form for the Test against Ireland.
“Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine has withdrawn from the one-off Test against Ireland due to a family emergency. Johnathan Campbell, making his Test debut, will lead the side. A proven leader at the domestic level, Campbell brings exciting energy and has been in brilliant form,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement on social media.
The move has also helped Johnathan get into the record books. He became the third cricketer in the last 50 years to lead a team on Test debut, excluding those who led their country’s first-ever Test match.
Interestingly, Johnathan is the son of former Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell. His uncle Donald also featured for the Chevron. Meanwhile, the pair became the first-ever father-son duo to lead the country in international cricket.
Notably, Johnathan played 34 first class matches in his career, scoring 1913 runs. He also clinched 42 wickets in red-ball cricket, including a four-wicket haul. His father, Alistair, on the other hand, featured in 60 Test matches and 188 ODI matches, scoring 2858 and 5185 runs respectively. He made his international debut in 1992 and played till 2003.
Zimbabwe bundle Ireland for 260
Zimbabwe bundled Ireland for 260 runs in the first innings of the ongoing Test. Pacer Blessing Muzarabani wreaked havoc, picking up a stunning seven-wicket haul at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. For Ireland, Andy McBrine played well, scoring an unbeaten 90, while Mark Adair made 78 runs.