Hamilton Masakadza bowed out of international cricket in style on Friday, smashing 71 runs off just 42 deliveries to help Zimbabwe end Afghanistan’s winning streak in T20 internationals.
Zimbabwe’s hopes of qualifying for the final of a tri-series also involving Bangladesh was already over after three successive defeats. But it at least ended the tournament on a high as skipper Masakadza pulled off a brilliant final innings for his nation.
Having walked out to a guard of honour after Afghanistan’s total of 155-8, the 36-year-old thumped five sixes and four fours in his entertaining knock, underpinning a seven-wicket win completed in 19.3 overs.
Masakadza ended🔥 his international career, which began in 2001, having played in 38 Tests, 209 ODIs and 66 T20Is, scoring 9,543 runs across all formats. His tally of 1,662 runs in T20Is is almost double that of any other Zimbabwe player.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
🚨Zimbabwe win! 🚨
The perfect send-off for captain Hamilton Masakadza who has played his last game f♛or his country today!
His side win by seven wickets 👏
— ICC (@ICC)
Test – 38
Runs – 2223
50 – 8
100 – 5
Top – 158
Wkt – 16ODI – 209
Runs – 5658
50 – 34
100 – 5
Top – 178*
Wkt – 39T20I – 66
Runs – 1662
50 – 11
Top – 93*
Wkt – 2Congratulations to Zimbabwe's Hamilton Masakadza on a great International cricket career
— Daniel Alexander (@daniel86cricket)
Youngest to score a Test century on debut.
Signs off with a 42-ball 71 ending Afghanistan's sequence of 12 successive T20I wins.
Fitting end to Hamilton Masakadza's career.
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks)
Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 7 wickets.
Their first 𒉰win against Afgha💦nistan after 8 consecutive defeats.
Ad its a Winning Farewell🌞 for Hamilton Masakadza who scored brilliant 71 off 42 balls
— Abhijeet ♞ (@TheYorkerBall)
So, yeah, both happened: a half-century (71 off 42 balls) for and a win for Zimbabwe in Masakadza's final game in national colours.
— Annesha Ghosh (@ghosh_annesha)
Hamilton Masakadza signed off an acclaim🌸ed international career in style here,leading Zimbabwe’s 🦂156 chase with 71, to snap Afghanistan’s world-record winning streak in T20Is
&md♏a♔sh; Ethan Takudzwa Augustine Chihuri (@Teechihuri)
Historic win for Zimbabwe! 🇿🇼
Their first-ever victory over Afghanistan in T20Is! They also break Afghanistan's world-record winning streak of 12 matches. 🙌— Omkar Mankame (@Oam_16)
Not often that we get to celebrate a cricket win for Zimbabwe! The game was a dead rubber, but the Chevrons ended Afgha✱nistan’s world record of 12 T20 wins in a row with a 7-wicket victory in the tri-series. What a send-off for Hamilton Masakadza, 71 in his final game for Zim!
— Steve Vickers (@SteveVickers5)
A Guard of Honour 🙌 18 yeaꦿr long career comes to an end.
Captain Ha🅠milton Masakadza playing his last Internatඣional Game and scored 71 off 42 while winning
Couldn't have asked a better Farewell.
— Abhijeet ♞ (@TheYorkerBall)
Zimbabwe WIN their 1st game of the tri-series by 7 wickets! What a lovely way to say goodbye to one of their legends, who's served them well for 18 years. Goodbye Masakadza!
— ThePoppingCrease (@PoppingCreaseSA)
Special farewell to Hamilton Masakadza. Excellent inning!
Thank you!!— Shailesh Sharma (@Guru_277)
//twitter.com/TanujKumarSin17𝔍/status/1175074007495917568
