Latest news with #Muzarabani
Times of Oman
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Records galore for England as Root blazes his way to become fastest to 13,000 Test runs
Nottingham: England's flamboyant Joe Root shattered South Africa's legendary Jacques Kallis' record for the fastest to 13,000 Test runs and took a step closer towards dethroning India's legendary Sachin Tendulkar from the summit of the highest-run scorer in the format during the opening day of their one-off fixture against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge. In a high-scoring opening day where England's top-order tormented the tourists, Root wasn't at his best and notched 34 before surrendering his wicket to Blessing Muzarabani. In his 153rd match, Root stepped on the crease, 28 runs shy of the milestone. In the 80th over of England's first innings, he sprinted for a single off Victor Nyauchi to breeze past the iconic Proteas all-rounder's record, who scripted the milestone to his name in the 159th match, six more than what Root took. The 34-year-old's exploits came to an end courtesy of Zimbabwe's short-ball ploy. Muzarabani hit the deck and lured the English star to pull the ball away. Root couldn't control the trajectory and holed it straight to Sean Williams. As he returned to the dressing room, wondering if he had left runs on the field, Root became just the fifth batter to cross 13,000 runs in Test format. After adding another feather to his cap, Root stands 2,916 runs away from Sachin's elusive tally of 15,921. Throughout the opening day, Zimbabwe, hot on the heels after a Test win over Bangladesh, were tormented by England's 'Bazball' playing top-order after opting to bowl on a dry surface. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley pounced on every loose delivery under Nottingham's cloudy skies. At exactly run a ball, Duckett brought up his fifth Test hundred. Crawley arrived at the three-digit mark for the first time since July 2023 and 28 innings ago. Crawley and Duckett expressed their knack for runs and raised a rollicking opening stand worth 231, England's highest at home since 1960. After Wesley Madhevere confirmed Duckett's departure, Ollie Pope arrived and added the trimmings with his third hundred in as many games at Trent Bridge. England ended the day with 498/3 on the board, the highest they have in England on the opening day. At stumps, Pope stayed unbeaten on 169 from 163 deliveries as England welcomed Zimbabwe on their soil after 22 years with a bashing.
Mint
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Eng vs Zim: Blessing Muzarabani makes big impact before joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru for IPL 2025 playoffs
Blessing Muzarabani has made an impact even before joining his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammates in the Indian Premier League after he snapped three important wickets in the ongoing one-off Test match. The fast bowler picked the big wickets of Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Harry Brooke in the one-off four-day Test match between Zimbabwe and England at Trent Bridge. England batted first at Trent Bridge and amassed a mammoth 565/6 before declaring their first innings. The home side has three centurions with the top three batters all notching up tons. Openers Zak Crawley (124) and Ben Duckett (140) put up an opening stand of 231 before Harry Brook (171) put on a batting masterclass to power England to a big total in 96.3 overs. Muzarabani was Zimbabwe's pick of the bowlers as he picked up 3/143 in 24.3 overs. The Bengaluru side roped in Muzarabani earlier this week as a replacement for their star South African bowler Lungi Ngidi. The 28-year-old Zimbabwean will join RCB for ₹ 75 Lakh and will link up with the squad after the ongoing Test for the IPL 2025 playoffs. RCB needed a fast bowler as Ngidi will link up with his South Africa teammates ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, which begins June 11 at the iconic Lord's cricket ground. "Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have picked Blessing Muzarabani as a replacement for Lungisani Ngidi, who will leave to join South Africa for national duties," IPL stated in a release. "The replacement will be effective from May 26, 2025," it added further. Muzarabani will not be eligible to be retained ahead of next year's IPL as he is only a temporary replacement. RCB will play SRH later today, in Lucknow, in their penultimate league fixture before closing out against the Lucknow Super Giants on May 27, Tuesday. RCB play both fixtures at the Ekana Cricket stadium in Lucknow. Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Money talks — don't expect worst team to tour England to get another trip
How long was it before the realisation dawned that this was not an equal contest, that it was men against boys, seasoned Test match campaigners against wannabes? Five, six, seven overs? Ben Duckett got himself up and running with a brace of boundaries off Blessing Muzarabani in the eighth over; after that England never looked back. It was help-yourself time for the batsmen, and they duly helped themselves, a task made even easier by an injury to Richard Ngarava, who did not bowl again after lunch. At no stage did this feel like a truly competitive match. Unlike most England Test matches, too, it will have next to no influence on future planning. How can it when it is the equivalent of playing — at
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
"100 Test wickets would be really special...": Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani
London [UK], May 19 (ANI): Ahead of his side's one-off Test match against England, Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani admitted that taking 100 Test wickets 'would be really special.' England will host Zimbabwe for a one-off Test from May 22 at Nottingham in a bid to prepare for the home series against India starting from June 20. Speaking about getting to the milestone ahead of the game, Muzarabani said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo, 'Yes, that is a great thing. Because I feel like Test wickets are really hard to get, actually, so getting 100 wickets is a big achievement for any fast bowler. That would be really special. I am working through my processes, and everything that happens, of course, we work hard to make sure those things happen. But, as well, I am not really looking at wickets.' Muzarabani, a six-foot-eighth-inch pacer, said that 'his greatest weapon is height'. Zimbabwe does not have a great pace line-up. He had to travel worldwide for his trade, from Harare, to Northampton, to Bulawayo, Belfast, Abu Dhabi and Sylhet to prove himself as a great fast bowler. In 12 Tests, he has taken 51 wickets at an average of 21.84, with best figures of 7/58. In 2025 itself, he has taken 26 wickets at an average of 18.61. In first three matches, he secured figures of 6 for 95 (against Afghanistan in Bulawayo), 7 for 58 (against Ireland in Bulawayo) and 6 for 73 (against Bangladesh in Sylhet), making him the first pacer since West Indies legend Malcolm Marshall in 1988 to take six-plus wicket hauls in three successive Tests. The only other pacers to achieve this feat are Pakistan's Imran Khan and, in the 19th century, George Lohmann and Tom Richardson. Muzarabani is already the eighth-highest wicket-taker for Zimbabwe in Tests. With seven more Tests still to go, he could catch up with Ray Price (80 scalps) and end behind legendary Heath Streak (216 wickets). He would be only the second player from his country to reach the 100-wicket mark if he accomplishes it. Contributing to his team's win, which he has been able to do only twice so far, remains the pacer's top priority as he said, 'That is something that I would really love to do, to make that impact for the team, get those big wickets, so we can win more often. This is a big journey, playing against big teams. But, of course, I cannot be worried about what I am going to do, thinking too much about it. The goal is just to win more games.' Since he returned to Tests for the first time in three years during mid-2024, nobody in Zimbabwe who has taken 10 wickets have got closer to his career average (21.84) and strike rate (43.70), including Streak. He credits former South African pacer and current Zimbabwe bowling coach Charl Langeveldt. 'I am really just enjoying my Test cricket. Working with my bowling coach, it is about understanding the lengths to bowl in Test cricket. I feel like the more I play, the more I understand how I get my wickets. [Langeveldt] is the guy who has been working with me on my lengths and all the skills that I am trying to use. He's been really helpful in the things he is saying,' he said. Growing up in Zimbabwe, he developed his ability to 'hit the deck' rather than swing. He is well aware because of his time in Northamptonshire about the importance to trying to pitch it up in English conditions. 'For me, it is about bowling a touch fuller. Yes, of course, my natural length can work, but also you have to be much fuller [to make the ball move],' he said. 'Especially with me being tall, you can get carried away. In England the pitches are slower, sometimes when you bowl back of a length, guys can pull you and take you on. But the swing is something that can make you lose your control, so you have to find a balance. I learned a lot [in county cricket],' he added. Muzarabani has played at Trent Bridge in Nottingham before, the venue for their one-off Test, though in pre-season for Northants six years ago. The ground's reputation for swing has dissappeared over the years and the pacer expects some bounce that would help him bowl at his favourite 'ribcage length'. Muzarabani is well aware that the opening pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will aim to attack him early on, but he will be relying on his new ball partner, Richard Ngarava, who is more shorter and stockier and a left-arm swing bowler. 'It is great bowling with Richie, we pick each other up. When it is not going our way, we tend to communicate. When my head is going down, he will come to me, he knows my action. We were both playing together when we were really young, 9 or 10. So you know what to say because we know each other,' he said. Recently, the pacer has had plenty of franchise cricket experience, in Carribbean Premier League (CPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL) and International League T20 (ILT20) and could make his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) soon after being signed as a replacement for South African Lungi Ngidi, who will miss out on playoffs due to his side's ICC World Test Championship final commitments. These leagues have helped him develop plenty of variations, durability and skills, which he would need against a 'Bazball' powered England. The pacer said that he is trying to figure out his plans against England who are 'not often going to get caught defending'. 'To be honest, they [England] play almost like T20 sometimes. So for me, I am trying to figure out the plan because they are not often going to get caught defending. It is just more like backing yourself and being positive, because those guys are some of the best in the world. You can't be worried about what they are going to do. You just have to worry about your lengths and your field.' 'In the leagues, you learn a lot of things. You meet new people every day. You have to try to understand the captain that you are working with. Of course, it's not every captain that will believe in you, so you have to prove your point and try to improve yourself. So I feel like it is good. You are not in your comfort zone, but you have to learn. I feel like it is something that is really helping with my awareness and my T20 cricket,' he added. With a red ball in his hand, he would be looking to back his 'Just hit your length' mantra. 'You cannot start thinking about those guys [what they are going to do], you get confused. Just trust yourself and trust your lengths,' he added. For Muzarabani, now 28, the priority is to play for his country, and he is enjoying the massive rise in Test fixtures his team has got this year. 'Playing for your country is always the best feeling, because you are representing your family. Of course, playing franchise cricket, you have extra money and you see the world, you get experience. But the first thing is always playing for your country. For me, that's the number one thing,' he said. He said that walking out at Trent Bridge for the Test 'will be he greatest feeling ever for me and for the team.' 'I am just looking forward to showing everyone what we can do. It is just a dream come true, for sure, getting to play [England in England]. No doubt that everyone is excited for the opportunity.' 'We believe we can actually cause an upset. I believe we are all good enough to really put on a good show. So I am sure if we just come in and then do everything that we have to do, we are doing everything right, we are going to come out in a good position in the game,' he added. (ANI)
India.com
19-05-2025
- Sport
- India.com
Meet tallest player of IPL 2025, masterstroke by Kohli's RCB, Babar Azam is afraid of him due to...
As soon as they reached the playoffs of IPL 2025, RCB played a master stroke. They brought in the team that player, who is counted among the tallest players in the world. And, whose name is Blessing Muzarabani. 28-year-old Muzarabani is a fast bowler from Zimbabwe and has come to play the playoffs of IPL 2025 on behalf of RCB. RCB has taken him as a replacement for Lungi Ngidi. Blessing Muzarabani's height is said to be 6 feet 8 inches. Now according to this, he is as tall as Marco Jansson. His height is also 6 feet 8 inches. In this way, both of them are the two tallest players in current cricket. The one who has entered RCB is Blessing Muzarabani. That is, the fast bowler in front of whom even Pakistan's biggest batsman Babar Azam's feet tremble on the cricket pitch. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Well, we will tell the story of Muzarabani and Babar Azam. First, let's know why he replaced Lungi Ngidi? This is because in view of the WTC final, South Africa has called back all its players from IPL till May 26. Lungi Ngidi is also a key bowler of South Africa, who will be an important face of that team against Australia in the WTC final. However, Lungi Ngidi will play his next match for RCB, which is on the 23rd against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. This means that Muzarabani will not be seen playing for RCB in the next match. But after that, RCB can take advantage of Muzarabani in the last group stage match and then in the playoffs. Let us now tell you how Pakistan's greatest batsman Babar Azam trembles in front of 6 feet 8 inches tall Blessing Muzarabani. So far Muzarabani has dismissed Babar 5 times in international cricket, which is the biggest proof of his dominance. During this time, Babar Azam has scored 106 runs in 105 balls against him at a very modest average of 21.20.
