Hamilton Masakadza

International career

Hamilton Masakadza, born on 9 August 1983, is a former cricketer from Zimbabwe. He played in all formats of the game for his country and became an important player for Zimbabwe over the years. Masakadza was known for his steady batting and leadership skills.

After retiring from international cricket, Masakadza took a new role with Zimbabwe Cricket. In August 2019, the organization created the position of Director of Cricket as part of an effort to change its management. Masakadza became the first person to hold this position.

As Director of Cricket, Masakadza had to focus on the policy, strategy, and best practices for all Zimbabwean teams. His goal was to help improve the performance of the teams and set them up for long-term success.

However, in March 2024, Masakadza stepped down from his position. His resignation followed Zimbabwe’s failure to qualify for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, marking the end of his role as Director of Cricket.

2001

• Test Debut: Zimbabwe vs. West Indies at Harare (July 27–31)
• ODI Debut: Zimbabwe vs. South Africa at Bulawayo (September 23)

2006

• T20I Debut: Bangladesh vs. Zimbabwe at Khulna (November 28)

2009

• Masakadza scored over 150 runs in multiple matches during an ODI series against Kenya. He became the first player to achieve this in a series.

2011

• Test Return: Zimbabwe returned to Test cricket against Bangladesh at Harare. Masakadza scored 104 runs in the first innings, marking his second Test century after ten years.

2014

• Masakadza and Sikandar Raza set the record for the highest partnership in ODIs for Zimbabwe. They put up 224 runs for the first wicket against Bangladesh.

2015

• Masakadza played in his first senior Cricket World Cup. He had previously competed in two Under-19 World Cups (2000 and 2002).
• By November 2015, he became Zimbabwe's sixth-highest Test run-scorer and fifth-highest ODI run-scorer.

2016

• Masakadza captained Zimbabwe in the ICC World T20 tournament.
• During Zimbabwe’s tour of Bangladesh in January, he scored 222 runs across four T20I matches, setting a world record for the most runs in a T20I series.
• He became the first Zimbabwean cricketer to play in 50 T20I matches after India's tour to Zimbabwe in June.

2018

• Masakadza became the fourth Zimbabwean cricketer to play 200 ODI matches during a series against South Africa in October.

2019

• ODI Farewell: Played his final ODI match against Ireland at Belfast on July 7.
• T20I Farewell: Played his last T20I match against Afghanistan at Chattogram on September 20.
• Announced retirement from international cricket after the 2019–20 Bangladesh Tri-Nation Series.
• His final international match took place on September 20, 2019, against Afghanistan.
• Appointed as Zimbabwe Cricket's Director of Cricket in October 2019.

Test Career Stats

• Played 38 Test matches, scoring 2,223 runs with an average of 30.
• Hit 264 fours and 23 sixes.
• Last Test match was against Bangladesh in November 2018, where he scored 14 runs off 44 balls.

ODI Career Stats

• Played 209 ODI matches, scoring 5,658 runs with an average of 28.
• Hit 585 fours and 87 sixes.
• His last ODI match was in July 2019 against Ireland, where he scored 23 runs off 46 balls.

T20I Career Stats

• Played 62 T20I matches, scoring 1,529 runs with an average of 25.
• Hit 139 fours and 59 sixes.
• His last T20I match was in September 2019 against Afghanistan, where he scored 71 runs off 42 balls.

Post-Cricket Involvement

• Expressed interest in helping organize the 2026 Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the 2027 Men’s Cricket World Cup, events that Zimbabwe plans to host.

Leagues Participation

In 2013, Hamilton Masakadza played for Sylhet Royals in the Bangladesh Premier League. 

Bangladesh Premier League

In 2013, Hamilton Masakadza played for Sylhet Royals in the Bangladesh Premier League. The tournament took place from January 18 to February 19. On January 23, he scored 52 runs off 30 balls against Khulna Royal Bengals. Sylhet Royals won the match by 6 wickets, and Masakadza was named Player of the Match.

Year	Team	Notes
2013	Sylhet Royals	Masakadza played in the 2012/13 season. He scored 52 runs off 30 balls against Khulna Royal Bengals on January 23. Sylhet won by 6 wickets. Masakadza was Player of the Match.

Domestic career

Hamilton Masakadza started his domestic career in 1999/00. He became the youngest Zimbabwean to score a first-class century at just 16 years old. In 2001, he scored 119 runs on his Test debut, becoming the youngest player to achieve this at the time. Masakadza played for the Mountaineers, where his brothers, Shingirai and Wellington, also played.

In the 2017–18 Pro50 Championship, Masakadza was the top scorer for Mountaineers, with 317 runs in six matches. His career saw him play in various formats: List A, T20, and first-class matches. Even after a short break for studies, he continued to play in domestic cricket, with his last match for the Mountaineers in February 2019.

Records and achievements

Hamilton Masakadza has achieved many important records in his cricket career. He set a number of milestones at a young age, gaining recognition for his performances. Below is a list of his major records and achievements:

• 2001: Became the youngest player to score a century on his Test debut at 17 years and 254 days.
• 2009: Became the first Zimbabwean to score two 150+ scores in ODIs and the first player to do so in the same series.
• 2009: Set the record for the most runs in a 5-match ODI series, scoring 467 runs.
• 2014: Set the record for the highest partnership in an ODI for Zimbabwe, scoring 224 runs with Sikandar Raza.
• 2015: Became the first Zimbabwean to score over 1,000 runs in T20Is.
• 2016: Set a world record for the most runs in a T20I bilateral series, scoring 222 runs across four games during Zimbabwe's tour of Bangladesh.
• 2016: Became the first Zimbabwean to play 50 T20I matches after India’s tour of Zimbabwe.

These achievements show Masakadza’s significant contributions to Zimbabwean cricket.

Personal life

Hamilton Masakadza has had a successful cricket career and leads a private life away from the spotlight. While known for his cricket achievements, he also faces challenges and has a personal side that his fans are curious about.

Family

Masakadza is married and has children, though his family life is not often shared with the public. His brothers, Shingirai and Wellington Masakadza, also played for Zimbabwe, and all three played for the Mountaineers in domestic cricket.

Finances

Hamilton Masakadza’s net worth is estimated to be $1 million as of 2024. This comes from his long cricket career and business ventures..

Scandals

Masakadza has been involved in a few controversies. One notable issue was during a match against Bangladesh, where he was unhappy with the way the Bangladeshi players reacted to his dismissal in the third ODI. He received an official warning from the ICC for breaching the Code of Conduct. There was also a situation when Zimbabwe's cricket team was suspended by the ICC. Masakadza wrote a letter to the country's sports minister, stating that it was pointless to argue the decision. He later resigned from his role as director of Zimbabwe Cricket after the team failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Fans

Masakadza has a strong following. He has shown interest in helping to organize the 2026 Men's Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup, which Zimbabwe will host. He has around 2,500 followers on Instagram.

This gives a look at Masakadza's life beyond the cricket field. Despite facing challenges, he remains a key figure in Zimbabwean cricket.