BEFORE Zimbabwe’s 11-run defeat to Pakistan in the first T20I on Wednesday, Luke Jongwe had last donned national colours in January 2016 in a One Day International against Afghanistan in Sharjah which Zimbabwe lost by two wickets.
Jongwe almost won that game for his country, taking three wickets in eight overs and Afghanistan won the series 3-2.
A lot has happened since that game in 2016; Hamilton Masakadza who scored a hundred in that match has retired from international cricket and is now Zimbabwe Cricket’s Director of Cricket.
The captain on that tour, Elton Chigumbura has also retired from international cricket.
Chigumbura’s retirement is more poignant in that he is someone Jongwe has always been compared to because of his all-round ability.
Jongwe was a 21-year-old then and had carried from his school days the tag of being Chigumbura’s successor because of his potential of becoming a genuine all-rounder like his former captain before he suffered a stress fracture which prevented him from bowling.
Jongwe’s talent has never been in question or doubt but the question has always been, how badly does he want to succeed at the highest level?
Off the field, shenanigans have not helped his career and like all young people, his penchant for the fast life and partying derailed his progress.
Breaking team camp protocols and a dip in form made the selectors lose patience with the young Jongwe.
He saw some players who had to work twice as hard just to match his natural talent, overtake him in selection.
Suddenly he had to deal with the harsh reality of being on the fringe and losing some fake friends who wanted to be associated with him because he was a national team player. Now he was a nobody, at best a franchise player on a performance based contract.
There was a sense perhaps in certain quarters that Jongwe’s career was over.
Like everybody else, Jongwe had to prove himself again and Tuskers was the perfect pad.
He played club cricket in England where he was loved and revered which brought his confidence and self-belief back.
Jongwe started doing all the good things in a bid to try and get back into the national fold, scored runs for his local franchise Tuskers but had stopped bowling.
Therein lay the problem, the available spot in the national team at the time required a bowling all-rounder.
In a setup that has been accused of “Buddhism”, with no one to hand it to him on a silver platter, the right-handed batsman had to let his talent do all the talking.
Like a man on a mission, he bowled well in the domestic T20 competition, in the process helped his team Tuskers to retain the Cup and earned his way back into the national team.
Speaking to the media after Zimbabwe lost to Pakistan in the first T20I, the former Southern Rocks all-rounder was elated to be back on the park.
“It’s been a long journey, to be honest. I can’t believe I’ve been out for almost six years. And it was good to be back with you guys as well. And I still can’t believe it, I’m still in a dream,” Jongwe said.
Drama always follows Jongwe and his first over back from the cricket wilderness was no different.
He induced a false shot from the dangerous Fakhar Zaman but was dropped by the Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams.
In his second over Pakistan’s Danish Aziz went for a booming drive to Jongwe’s fullish delivery and could only manage a thick outside edge but wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva dropped the regulation catch.
Put yourself in Jongwe’s shoes.
You have waited for five years to play for your country again and you create two chances but all have been put down. What do you do? Simple if your name is Luke, you dig deeper in your bag of tricks and bowl a well-disguised slow ball and you get your first wicket on your second coming.
Probably it was only fair that another bowler who felt the pain of a dropped catch, Richard Ngarava took a brilliant catch at 45 making sure that Zimbabwe would not rue Aziz’s dropped chance and Jongwe was in the wickets column.
Jongwe was not done yet, since the ball was failing to stick in the fielders’ hands he decided to go for the legs as they do in bar fights, he clean bowled Haider Ali and the second coming with the ball was done and dusted.
When the chance to make a mark in the fielding department came, he made a difficult run out chance look easy. Faheem Ashraf the victim was left stunned and could not move for a few seconds despite being given out by the Third Umpire.
Talking about the dropped catches and if he felt he was not going to get wickets on his return to international cricket: “You know, it’s cricket and you always want to get a wicket but sometimes it doesn’t go your way, you know.
“The team comes first and if the other person drops the catch you just have to back him up and we go again,” said Jongwe.
At the halfway stage Jongwe probably thought he had done enough with the ball and the batsmen would finish the job but it was not to be as his batting skills were required to see the team home.
His unbeaten 30 from 23 balls was not enough to end Zimbabwe’s 15 T20I winless streak against Pakistan but it was enough for the Chevrons supporters to see his repertoire of shots, a straight six down the ground, a cheeky scoop over the keeper for a boundary even though fine leg was not in the circle.
Probably after this series he will get a bat endorsement deal as he was batting with a bat without a maker’s name on it. Which bat manufacturer does not want to see their bat in the hands of a fine craftsman?
From a clean shaven 21-year-old to a 26- year-old with a long beard, Jongwe’s approach to things is now measured and he looks like he wants to be there as the national team transition from the old guard and youngsters wanting to play their part in taking Zimbabwe cricket forward.
It’s early days and a long road ahead but Jongwe has made the most of his second chance.
Looks the part and seems to understand his role, his plans and so far is executing them well. He has a smile on his face doing it that’s the best thing.