Zim Afro T10 2023: Tendai Chatara explains why T10 is 'easy' for bowlers

Harare, 28^th July, 2023: One of the most prolific bowlers in the league stage of the Zim Afro T10, the experienced Zimbabwean pacer Tendai Chatara has been giving batters of opposition teams plenty to think about. He has bagged 11 wickets in 8 innings, with an economy of 13.9 in what has been a tournament that’s seen plenty of fours and sixes. 

The 32-year-old right arm bowler has been among the wickets right from the get go, and has been one of the toughest to score off. Speaking at the end of the first phase of the tournament, Chatara said, “We knew we had to win the final game for sure. So, going into the final over of the final game of the league stage, I knew what I had to do and I was focussed on that.”

He further added, “T10 is pretty easy for the bowlers in a sense, because you know quite well that if you miss your mark you will get hit and disappear into the stands. So it is about discipline and not being predictable when bowling in cricket’s fastest format. And that’s one of the things I love about this game.”

When asked about adjusting and working out his plans in the shortest format, Chatara, who made his international debut for Zimbabwe in 2010, explained that it is that know how from all the years gone by that works in his favour.

“I think I have the experience and have played in different conditions and on various pitches over the years, and that’s what helps me adjust to such situations and formats,” he said.

While Chatara is one of the more experienced players in the mix at the Zim Afro T10, he feels that the tournament is a great bit of exposure for the young players who have come through the Player Development Programme, organised in the build-up to what has been a ten-day long cricket carnival. 

“I think the main thing for the young players is to learn from the other senior players. When I started out, there were senior players and it was not too difficult when I came into the international set-up in a sense. The most important lesson for the bowlers to take out of this T10 tournament, is to work on the variations one can have in the armoury, and not to be too predictable as you have to be able to deceive the batter, who is always looking to attack,” Chatara explained.

Chatara, who has played more than 150 T20s and 87 ODI games, further added that the T10 is going to be beneficial for the younger bowlers in the system, as it allows them to learn more about applying the brakes on the big-hitting batters in the game.

“I think it is a good thing that the younger bowlers coming through the ranks have more games in the calendar, via this tournament. When I was growing up all I knew was to bowl with the new ball early on in the innings, but for the youngsters, they can work on their variations and learn to bowl at the death, because in such a fast-paced format like the T10, variations are important to be successful. I think it is a good thing for them and also a good thing for the national set-up, that bowlers will learn to handle such situations,” he signed off.