Harare: The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup provides a platform for the next generation to announce themselves to the world – and few know that better than Tatenda Taibu.
The former Zimbabwe player was named Player of the Tournament at the 2002 edition in New Zealand, before embarking on an impressive senior career that included 150 ODI caps for his country.
With the 2026 edition taking place in Zimbabwe and Namibia, Taibu has been announced as the tournament ambassador and hopes the current crop of talented youngsters enjoy the same memories he experienced more than 20 years ago.
“As soon as I got the call, my mind raced back to when I was U19 myself and it feels nice to be a part of that again,” he said.
“Being player of the tournament will always stick in my mind for the rest of my life.
“I’ve been involved in two ICC U19 World Cups myself, in 2000 in Sri Lanka and in 2002 in New Zealand, where I was named Player of the Tournament.
“There is a bit of pressure, you are playing for your country and you want to do well. Everyone will be trying to use this as a trampoline to jump into professional cricket.”!
