Brian Bennett: ‘He has the tools to become our most successful player ever’
- vimbayi makwavarara
- Oct 11
- 6 min read
BY ENOCK MUCHINJO
HARARE – Often when an exciting young talent bursts onto the scene, he creates suspense all round.
Brian Bennett falls under that bracket for Zimbabwe.
What kind of a player is he now? What kind of a player is he going to develop into in the future?
Ian Tinker, a veteran Zimbabwean cricket development coach, has groomed such renowned cricketers as English county batting sensation Tawanda Muyeye and England national team all-rounder Sam Curran.
He rates Bennett very highly but given his schoolmaster background, Tinker speaks with a measured tone concerning the new Zimbabwe talismanic batsman, the latest star on his endless list of protégés.
Tinker – who used to be in charge of cricket at Bennett’s alma mater Peterhouse College – is mindful of not loading weight on the shoulders of the 21-year-old opening batsman so prefers to speak more about the ingredients that makes him such a promising international cricketer.
“He is intelligent mentally, a tough person and cricketer,” Tinker tells SportsCast this week.
“He is prepared to listen and implement valid suggestions on improving his technique. He has ability to accept and adapt to the uncontrollable situations that arise both on and off the field.”
Last month, Bennett made history by becoming the youngest player in international cricket to score centuries in all three formats of the game, following his blistering ton against minnows Tanzania in Africa’s T20 World Cup qualification tournament in Harare.
Bennett’s heroics at such a young age have had him compared to some of Zimbabwe’s biggest batting superstars, past and present.
Returning former captain Brendan Taylor, a right-hander like Bennett, is one of those that have been likened to the new Zimbabwe batting ace.
Tinker – who has also worked in the youth structures of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) in addition to his other private coaching ventures – reckons the comparison isn’t far-fetched despite the different circumstances of the two's arrival on the international arena.
“He (Bennett) is not as flamboyant as an Alistair Campbell (former Zimbabwe captain), he is more like Brendan,” comments Tinker.
“Both Brian and Brendan are similar at this age, but remember when Brendan started international cricket he was thrown in at the deep end and playing against top international sides. Brian’s Test and One-Day centuries do not surprise me at all. Whilst a century is a century, the quality of some of the opposition is different to what Brendan went through at the start of his international career.”
Herein lies the other similarity. While Taylor was thrown at the deep end barely out of his teens, Bennett also missed out on a critical stage of his development.
“Sadly, Brian’s final years at Peterhouse were affected by Covid, so he did not have the opportunity to show his true value and ability at the top level,” says Tinker.
Zimbabwe assistant coach and former national side batter Dion Ebrahim also identifies some qualities of Taylor in Bennett at this stage in his career.
“Absolutely, I see similarities in the fast and efficient hands,” says Ebrahim.
“Brian possesses many characteristics and similarities to a number of elite players I have seen and worked with. His biggest strengths are his desire to get better and his ability to score all around the ground.”
In less than two years of international cricket, Bennett has already achieved more than countless tried-and-failed Zimbabwean cricketers have in an entire career.
What has Bennett been able to do differently?
“The secret is simple,” remarks Ebrahim.
“Brian is our most consistent person daily. Every day he turns up in the same mindset. He does all the simple basics consistently to a high standard and continually looks to be better than the day before! He sets himself high standards and maintains them. He has strong character traits: emotional stability, a level perspective, and high levels of self-control. Traits which separate him from those of mediocre habits and character. He’s great to work with.”
Discount Bennett’s century against little Tanzania we may – no ordinary player scores a Test hundred against a formidable England attack in England, or even against Afghanistan so early on in his career of the five-day format.
Ebrahim doesn’t hesitate to predict Bennett’s future and value to the Zimbabwe team.
“He could have a very long career and has the tools to become our most successful player ever,” says Ebrahim.
“Surpassing all those before! How long he can last depends on two things: how long he can be motivated to get better, and how well we manage him and the team.”
That longevity, or lack thereof, gives Tinker reason to worry.
“Injuries, together with both physical and mental issues, may get in the way,” Tinker says.
“Sadly, one of the biggest downfalls of ZC is man management. The one advantage in Brian’s favour is the quantity of cricket we actually play compared to top nations.”
Born in Harare and raised in the countryside surroundings of Goromonzi just outside the capital city, Bennett attained his early education at Ruzawi School in Marondera, playing a variety of sports including both first-team cricket and rugby.
In senior school at Peterhouse in the same town, cricket took priority, as was the case with his twin brother David and young brother Sean.
Kudzai Tasa, who coached Bennett in his early days of high school, remembers the new Chevrons hero captaining his school team with admirable courage.
“As an Under-14 coach, you have to pick an A, B and C team,” says Tasa, a former club cricketer from Mutare.
“You have 90 boys to pick 36 players. Brian just stood out and he is one of the players I first picked. The first game we played was against St John’s and I made him open the batting. He scored a hundred and I knew straight away that he was destined for greater heights. He loved to attack, and we made use of the powerplay. He bowled off-spin and captained the team. He opened the batting with his twin brother. The twin brother batted well and bowled leg-spin. Back then I rated the brother ahead of him.”
Bennett acquired his leadership skills early during that outdoor childhood in Marondera and Goromonzi, showcasing it on the sports fields.
“He could handle pressure well,” Tasa says.
“When we wanted to break a partnership, he would bring himself to bowl. I remember one game we were bowled out for 88 in a 50-over game. He came to me and said ‘coach, we will win this game’ and we did. He encouraged his teammates and we got over the line.”
Bennett is privileged in that he has started his international career surrounded by seasoned players, who themselves didn’t enjoy that advantage in their younger years due to Zimbabwean cricket going through a tumultuous transition.
Young Brian was a toddler when Sean Williams made his international cricket debut for Zimbabwe in an ODI against South Africa in February 2005.
Today they are teammates, one at the end of his career and the other just starting.
39-year-old Williams, who has captained Zimbabwe at Under-19 and senior levels, also has high regard for Bennett’s ability to burden both playing and captaincy.
“I think he will develop into a high-calibre player world-wide and will be more versatile as his career goes on in all formats of the game,” says Williams.
“And possibly become a great leader. He has been able to achieve what he has achieved through smart, positive training and understanding his role and not being afraid of failure. He trains with clarity.”
Bennett blends his hard-work at the training ground with a relaxed and easygoing nature, which helps a great deal in terms of taking pressure off himself.
“Brian is mischievous, but humble,” laughs Williams.
“He’s a very liked person amongst his friends and teammates. He has a very close connection to his family, who give great support to everything he does. He’s funny, witty and has lots of wisecracks. Above all, he is competitive, he has a great attitude. He is a humble professional and very reliable.”
Comments