BY SPORTSCAST WRITER
HARARE – Former Zimbabwe fast bowler Brighton Watambwa, who featured in six Test matches in a short international career, says he missed the opportunity to represent his country in the shorter version after he was subjected to aggressive batting by teammate Doug Marillier during practice.
The 47-year-old ex-speedster was reacting to a piece by BBC cricket columnist Steven Finn, addressing the challenges faced by bowlers in making the transition from domestic to international cricket.
Watambwa was a fearsome young bowler on Zimbabwe’s domestic circuit at the turn of the millennium, and was in line to make his international debut during Bangladesh’s Test and ODI tour of the Southern African country in April 2001.
Selectors however decided to delay Watambwa’s debut, at least in the shorter form, following the treatment by the belligerent Marillier.
“I recall being tonked for 70-odd off 8 or 9 overs (many years ago),” Watambwa, who now lives in Switzerland, wrote on Facebook.
“Perhaps doesn’t seem so much in today’s game but was a big deal for me at the time, and was ultimately the reason I never played an ODI for Zim, as that knock by Doug Marillier featured what has become known as the ‘Dilshan Scoop’. Doug played that shot off me and I was genuinely perplexed, even wondering if it was legal. 10/10 to Doug as I know he played that shot well before Dilshan, but the point is that of those 70-odd runs I went for in that practice match, most came in my last 4 or 5 overs, and they directly led me not playing the ODI series on what was Bangladesh’s inaugural tour to Zim.”
Marillier, known around the cricketing world for “inventing” the scoop shot, played five Tests and 48 ODIs for Zimbabwe between 2000 and 2003.
The former Zimbabwe batsman was famously known for the ‘Marillier shot’ before Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka later popuralised it.
While Marillier might have prevented Watambwa from playing in neither the Bangladesh ODIs nor in any other until his abrupt retirement, the lightning-quick pacer had his “revenge” after getting the better of the gifted batsman in training to ensure both young players weren’t selected for the three-match series, won by Zimbabwe with a 3-0 clean-sweep.
“Of course I got my own back in the green flyers that were the HSC (Harare Sports Club) nets next day, meaning neither of us played the 1-day series on that tour, but this article (by Finn) is one of the best I’ve seen that highlight the challenges for quick bowlers,” wrote Watambwa.
“And that’s what makes cricket a very interesting sport. One day hero, one day villain. There are very few genuine pacers out there, so most people won’t understand but I’m totally on board with this article as in a world where the game is more and more skewed towards batters (as it should be), the fast bowler challenge is often misunderstood.”
The breakthrough however came for Watambwa in the two Tests, with Zimbabwe whitewashing the Tigers 2-0 in their inaugural overseas Test series. The 24-year-old quick made an instant impression, alongside other young seamers like Andy Blignaut and Mluleki Nkala providing good support for Zimbabwe pace mainstay Heath Streak.
Watambwa finished with nine wickets in Zimbabwe’s comfortable wins by an innings and 32 runs in the first contest and by eight wickets in the second.
He lasted just six Tests before a clash with the national cricket board ended a very promising career. Watambwa immigrated to the United Sates and later Belgium, captaining the European nation in several regional matches.
