TATENDA Taibu has been recruited by Bangladesh’s national sports academy as a batting and wicket keeping coach, the record-breaking former Zimbabwe cricket captain’s first major coaching role.
ENOCK MUCHINJO
The two-year contract could become the stepping-stone to top-level coaching for 38-year-old Taibu, who has previously served as Zimbabwe’s chief selector, and is respected globally for his sound cricketing mind.
The Bangladesh Sports Institution of Sports Education – commonly known locally as the Bangladesh Krira Shikha Protishtan (BKSP) – is government-funded multi-sport centre known for producing some of the cricket-mad Asian country’s best players, including former national captain Shakib Al Hasan, one of the best all-rounders in the modern era of the game.
“I feel extremely excited,” Taibu told The NewsHawks soon after arriving in Bangladesh on Saturday. “Just look how Bangladesh cricket is progressing. Look at the T20 series against Australia. To be part of that as a coach is exciting. I just want to help bring up the next Shakib, (Mashrafe Bin) Mortaza, Tamim (Iqbal) and more. I’m here to make sure that those talented cricketers are a finished product when they get selected into the various national teams, with only experience left to acquire.”
Taibu was previously based in Liverpool, England, where he has permanently settled with his family.
