Chevrons all-rounder Dion Myers wasted no time to make his presence felt showing what the national cricket team missed over the last few years that he had been away with a commanding show against India in their third T-20 match on Wednesday.
He hit his first T20I half century despite the home side going down to India by 23 runs in the third match at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.
India took a 2-1 series lead after posting 182/4 before dismissing hosts Zimbabwe for a gallant 159/6 in their 20 overs.
Myers, 22, top scored for the Chevrons with an unbeaten 65 off 49 balls after making his welcome return to the national fold upon completion of his studies in England.
“It’s a huge honour ... I have been dreaming about playing for my country since I was a young boy. And to hopefully contribute in some way means the world as well,” Myers told reporters during postmatch interviews.
“And just being back in the team, it’s such a nice vibe. Wonderful coaching staff as well, and they are there to support us. So, I expect lots more to come from this team going forward, and I’m very excited for the future.”
The former Zim Under-19 skipper averages 22.70 with 227 runs from 11 T20Is. He proffered a glimpse of what the future holds with the exciting group of cricketers Zimbabwe are currently parading.
His assesment mirrors that of ZC’s vision to rebuild a team for the future. Former South African High Performance batting coach, Justin Sammons leads the Chevrons technical set up as head coach. He is being assisted by former Zimbabwe Test player, Dion Ebrahim.
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“I think the next thing is just, if a couple of guys do well, it’s crazy what this team can achieve,” Myers said. “So it’s just a matter of time, I can assure you that. Pre-game we have got our own ways of how we want to go about it, but at the end of the day it’s just watching the ball and staying focused at the moment. And I think that’s how we want to approach our cricket, it’s not really a year from now, two series from now, it’s right now, this game, this ball, and then take the rest, the outcomes, we'll take care of themselves. That’s the way the whole team’s thinking,” Myers said.
He is happy to be in the firing line and learning with every game be plays.
“I think it's brilliant to learn, it’s brilliant to be in the firing line, and I’m a big believer if a situation presents you a tough circumstance, are you going to stand up, or are you going to just let it go and dribble away?
“It was a great experience for me, personally, I didn’t take it in a confidence-downer sort of way, I thought there is some things I need to work on, and much like the Indians, I’m sure they are still trying to improve, so that’s how I’m taking it, and that’s how the rest of the boys are taking it.”
Myers’ time out studying made him realise how much he missed the game and what playing for his country means.
“Over the last few years it’s been a lot of self-introspection, seeing how my first stint went, things I did well, things I can improve on, and watching a lot of cricket, honestly, along with my own training,” he said.
“It just helps sometimes when you are out of a system, a set-up, to then look at it from a panoramic view and see what you can achieve or what you can do better to give to the set-up as well and give to the team.
“So that time away, I think it’s a blessing in disguise, it helped me realise a few more things about myself, and also I needed to grow up, I was 19 and fresh out of high school, so it was nice to get the experience, but now it's really time for myself and the team to knuckle down and get a few more good performances going.”
Zimbabwe hope to stay alive in the series by winning the fourth T20I tomorrow. A win for Zimbabwe will set a date for a pulsating final on Sunday in the fifth and final encounter at Harare Sports Club. Both matches kickoff at 1pm.
