“I feel it’s the best time to leave it to the next guy to lead us so I can focus on my game as a player”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Elton Chigumbura has stepped down as Zimbabwe captain after his side’s four-match Twenty20 series against Bangladesh ended as a 2-2 draw.

Zimbabwe lost the first two games of the series before launching an extraordinary comeback by winning the next two matches.

While this spells the end of Chigumbura’s second stint as captain, the 29-year-old made it clear that he still wants to play cricket for Zimbabwe, but feels that the time is right for someone else to take over the reins.

“I have enjoyed the challenges that came with leading the team,” he said. “Now I feel it’s the best time to leave it to the next guy to lead us so I can focus on my game as a player. I am sure I will lead from the front as a senior player as I still believe I have more years of playing in me and of winning games for the team.”

In the 80 limited overs matches he captained Zimbabwe in, Chigumbura ended up winning 20, which included incredible victories over Australia and New Zealand in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

Chigumbura also captained Zimbabwe during their limited overs tour of Pakistan in May last year, which marked the comeback of international cricket to the country after six years.

Zimbabwe Cricket has yet to name Chigumbura’s successor, but will likely have to make a decision soon as Zimbabwe are set to play a limited overs series against the West Indies in February in preparation for the World Twenty20 in India in March.