Biography

A right-handed opening batsman and an occasional medium-pacer, Vusi Sibanda's entry into international cricket came in 2003, and despite failing to live up to the expectations, he has been a more or less permanent fixture in the Zimbabwean side due to the team's crisis.

An excellent timer of the ball, Sibanda's sound technique has been his strongest asset. More often, his selection was based on the tremendous potential he possessed, instead of his actual performances. However, with time, came the knack of building big innings and the Highfield-born lad progressed rapidly during the West Indies tour in 2006. Club cricket in Australia helped Sibanda perfect his game, which then paid rich dividends in the form of some decent showings against Bangladesh. Unfortunately, he could not carry the same form into the World Cup that followed.

It was only in the 2009-10 domestic season that Sibanda fully matured as a batsman. He played superbly while representing Zimbabwe XI and was a crucial cog in the team's victory against Kenya in the Intercontinental Cup. His Logan Cup tally helped him rocket to the top of the domestic batting charts. Sibanda remains in national contention, thanks to his solid domestic background coupled with a wonderful batting capability that makes him one of the finest talents produced by Zimbabwe cricket. After a gap of six long years, Zimbabwe made a historic return to Test cricket in 2011, to play their only Test match against Bangladesh at home, where Sibanda was very much a part of the Playing XI.