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Zimbabwe’s Jonathan Campbell was handed captaincy duties on Test debut and now joins a rare list of cricketers to achieve this rare feat.
Zimbabwe take on Ireland in Bulawayo. (Image: X)
In what was the rarest of rare scenarios, Zimbabwe’s debutant Jonathan Campbell was handed captaincy duties in their first Test against Ireland held in Bulawayo on Thursday.
He was handed the leadership duties as the regular captain, Craig Ervine had to withdraw from the fixture due to a family emergency. Zimbabwe suffered an additional blow as Sean Williams was absent through injury.
The release also confirmed that Jonathan Campbell would be given the role of captaining the side. His father, Alistair Campbell had led the team from 1996 through to 2002. The duo are the latest along with three other pairs to have captained in international cricket.
Jonathan also becomes the latest entry to a rare list of cricketers who have become captains during their debut as well. The most recent entry to this was South Africa’s Neil Brand who led the Proteas during their Test tour of New Zealand in 2024.
| Sl No | Player Names | Country |
| 1 | Frank Mann, George Mann | England |
| 2 | Colin Cowdrey, Chris Cowdrey | England |
| 3 | Lala Amarnath, Mohinder Amarnath | India |
| 4 | Alistair Campbell, Jonathan Campbell | Zimbabwe |
Jonathan also becomes the latest entry to a rare list of cricketers who have become captains during their debut as well. The most recent entry to this was South Africa’s Neil Brand who led the Proteas during their Test tour of New Zealand in 2024.
| Sl No | Player Names | Country | Year |
| 1 | Lord Harris | England | 1879 |
| 2 | Ivo Bligh | England | 1882 |
| 3 | Aubrey Smith | England | 1889 |
| 4 | Alfred Richards | South Africa | 1896 |
| 5 | Murray Bisset | South Africa | 1899 |
| 6 | Henry Taberer | South Africa | 1902 |
| 7 | Biddy Anderson | South Africa | 1902 |
| 8 | Percy Sherwell | South Africa | 1906 |
| 9 | Henry Leveson Gower | England | 1910 |
| 10 | Johnny Douglas | England | 1911 |
| 11 | Frank Mann | England | 1922 |
| 12 | Rony Stanyforth | England | 1927 |
| 13 | Harold Gilligan | England | 1930 |
| 14 | Freddy Calthorpe | England | 1930 |
| 15 | Nelson Betancourt | West Indies | 1930 |
| 16 | Jackie Grant | West Indies | 1930 |
| 17 | Herby Wade | South Africa | 1935 |
| 18 | Maharajkumar of Vizinagaram | India | 1936 |
| 19 | Alan Melville | South Africa | 1938 |
| 20 | George Mann | England | 1948 |
| 21 | Nigel Howard | England | 1951 |
| 22 | Tony Lewis | England | 1972 |
| 23 | Lee Germon | New Zealand | 1995 |
| 24 | Neil Brand | South Africa | 2024 |
| 25 | Johnathan Campbell | Zimbabwe | 2025 |
With Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani in superb form, the tourists, who won the toss and chose to bat first at the Queens Sports Club, were reeling at 31 for five when McBrine joined Lorcan Tucker.
After seeing off Muzarabani, who took four of the first five including captain Andy Balbirnie (9) and star batsman Paul Stirling (10) and finished with 7-58, they stabilised the innings with a sixth-wicket partnership of 51.
When Tucker was bowled off an inside edge by Trevor Gwandu for 33, McBrine knuckled down again with Mark Adair to add 127 for the seventh wicket.
Adair took the fight to the Zimbabwe bowlers, reaching his 50 from 48 balls.
He clubbed 13 fours in his 78 before getting an outside edge to a Muzarabani delivery that flew to wicketkeeper Nyasha Mayavo.
McBrine, whose previous best Test innings was an unbeaten 86, hit 12 fours off 132 balls before running out of partners and Ireland were all out in 56.4 overs.
Zimbabwe suffered two pre-match blows with Sean Williams absent through injury and skipper Craig Ervine withdrawing for the birth of his child.
