Zimbabwe legend’s son Johnathan Campbell joins rare list by captaining on Test debut

In a rare instance in Test cricket, a debutant was entrusted with the responsibility of captaincy during the ongoing one-off Test match between Zimbabwe and Ireland. Johnathan Campbell, son of former Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell, was given the opportunity to lead Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on February 6.

Campbell made his Test debut after playing 34 first-class matches, where he scored 1,913 runs, including four centuries. As a leg-spinner, he also took 42 wickets, with his best performance being four wickets in an innings. He made his T20I debut against Bangladesh in Chattogram in May 2024, scoring 45 off 24 balls.

Johnathan’s father, Alistair, had an impressive international cricket career. Alistair played 60 Tests and 188 ODIs for Zimbabwe from 1992 to 2003. He scored 2,858 runs in Test cricket at an average of 27.22, including 18 fifties and two centuries. He amassed 5,185 ODI runs, with 30 fifties and seven hundreds.

Zimbabwe Captain Craig Ervine Has Withdrawn from One-Off Test Against Ireland

Johnathan Campbell was handed the captaincy on his Test debut after regular skipper Craig Ervine withdrew at the last minute due to a family emergency. Zimbabwe Cricket announced that Campbell, known for his leadership skills in domestic cricket and recent impressive form, would lead the team.

“Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine has withdrawn from the one-off Test against Ireland due to a family emergency. Johnathan Campbell, making his Test debut, will lead the side. A proven leader at the domestic level, Campbell brings exciting energy and has been in brilliant form,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement on social media.

Zimbabwe (Playing XI): Ben Curran, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Nick Welch, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell(c), Wessly Madhevere, Nyasha Mayavo(w), Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu

Ireland (Playing XI): Peter Moor, Andrew Balbirnie(c), Curtis Campher, Harry Tector, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker(w), Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Barry McCarthy, Matthew Humphreys, Craig Young

Johnathan Campbell Becomes the Second Zimbabwean to Captain the Test Side on Debut

Johnathan Campbell became the second Zimbabwean to captain the Test side on debut, after Dave Houghton, who led the team in their inaugural Test against India in 1992. Campbell is only the third player in the past 50 years to captain on Test debut, excluding those who led their nation’s first-ever Test.

In 2024, Neil Brand led a weakened South Africa side on his Test debut against New Zealand. In the 21st century, only five players have captained their teams on Test debut. Naimur Rahman led Bangladesh in 2000, William Porterfield led Ireland in 2018, and Asghar Afghan captained Afghanistan in 2018.

Players to Captain on Test Debut (Last 50 Years) Excluding Inaugural Test Captains

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