Hamilton Masakadza isn't the first Zimbabwean cricketer that would come to your mind when asked to name one. That honour likely rests with the Flower brothers, Henry Olonga, Neil Johnson, Tatenda Taibu or the charismatic Heath Streak. But over his 18-year international career, Masakadza has wrestled his way into the top names in Zimbabwean cricket with an undying passion for the game and his country.
He signed off from international cricket with a match-winning 71 in the Tri-Series match against Afghanistan to end his exceptional career. Masakadza was sporting a T-shirt with his nickname 'Mudhara' (chiShona for 'old man') on the back. He shone yet again as Zimbabwe won their only game in the Tri-Series.
The way downhill
Only a few weeks back had Masakadza written to the sports minister about rifts within the camp following ICC's suspension of Zimbabwean cricket. Masakadza was among the few who requested the sports minister to intervene immediately rather than sitting glumly after ICC's suspension. He noted that the ICC was a governing body and had made its decision, so it was up to Zimbabwean cricket to reverse the choice.
An elegant leader, Masakadza had taken charge from Graeme Cremer last year. He had also captained the team in 2016. With Zimbabwe suspended in July, his future alongside that of his mates had gotten uncertain. With a place in the T20 World Cup next year ruled out, he felt it was time to end his international career.
Read: Tearful Masakadza quits cricket with no regrets
A wealthy career
A storied career, Masakadza came to Zimbabwean cricket when it was at the peak of its prowess - in 2001. A year earlier, he had become the first black Zimbabwean cricketer to score a first-class hundred. Doing that at the tender age of 16 made Masakadza an instant hit.
By 2001 he was making his Test debut and he became the youngest to score a Test ton on debut, a record Mohammad Ashraful would later eclipse. His bigger role, though, came in the shorter formats. Masakadza only played 38 Tests but was capped 209 times in ODIs, the third most for a Zimbabwean after the Flower brothers and former skipper Elton Chigumbura.
In the shortest format of the game, Masakadza's attacking batsmanship made him one of the best talents early in the game. In 2009, he was among the top five best T20I batsmen per ICC rankings. In all, he played 65 T20Is, making 1600 runs at an average of 25.4 and a strike of 116.4.
Peak to abyss
When Masakadza came, Zimbabwe cricket was flourishing. They were getting more competitive after a superb 1999 World Cup and their Test match abilities were also peaking. In a wonderful setup at the time, things started going downhill soon with the 2003 World Cup and the Andy Flower - Henry Olonga protests.
Masakadza played most of his career at a time Zimbabwean cricket was running on the edge of being suspended. Several players left the system, several others were dropped, but the "Mudhara" stayed on to make a massive impact.
Until last week, he was striving for the best for Zimbabwean cricket and the 36-year-old will walk out of the game with his head held high.
Read: ICC suspends Zimbabwe Cricket over 'political interference'
Featured image courtesy: AFP / Jekesai Njikizana
