Zim prosper under Utseya

Prosper Utseya hits out against Sri Lanka © Getty Images

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Prosper Utseya will be aiming to ensure Zimbabwean cricket is talked about for its on-field exploits rather than its behind-the-scenes problems at the World Cup.

Utseya may be the youngest captain in the competition but he has an old cricketing head firmly fixed on his young shoulders.

The 21-year-old carries the burden of a nation beset by administrative difficulties and political wranglings which have contributed to the country's status in the game reaching one of its lowest ebbs.

The unavailability of established players such as Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut and Tatenda Taibu has severely weakened the quality in the side.

The absence of such international calibre players set across a backdrop of domestic problems would seem to point towards Utseya leading his side to inevitable failure in the Caribbean.

But the popular Harare-born youngster has not only been a dignified captain, showing maturity beyond his tender years, he has shown he might just posses the guile to help his side spring a few surprises.

Like many other young black players, he was first introduced to the game at Chipembere Primary School in the Harare township of Highfield, and his accurate off-spin bowling won him a Zimbabwe Cricket Union scholarship to Churchill High School.

He made his first-class debut for Mashonaland before progressing into the Under-19 and Zimbabwe A set-ups.

After impressive performances in warm-up matches, Utseya was called into the national side following the exodus of many of Zimbabwe's players and subsequently made his one-day international debut against Sri Lanka in December 2004.

He has not looked back since and has turned from a promising spinner to one of international standard, and is probably considered one of only a handful of players in Zimbabwean cricket with the ability to compete at the highest level.

Although not a prolific wicket-taker, with a modest 36 victims in 55 matches, he is an extremely parsimonious bowler with an economy rate of 3.96, ranking him as one of the tightest bowlers in one-day history.

His record compares favourably alongside the likes of Harbhajan Singh (4.13) and Daniel Vettori (4.18) and, of those established spinners still playing international cricket, it is currently only bettered by the mercurial Muttiah Muralitharan (3.84).

Only Muttiah Muralitharan has a better economy rate than Utseya © Getty Images

He is currently ranked 22nd in the ICC one-day rankings but has been as a high as 15th in 2006 and, despite only possessing a batting average of 10.72, he has shown flashes of talent suggesting he could successfully develop into an all-rounder.

During West Indies' one-day whitewash of Zimbabwe earlier this year, Utseya emerged with kudos for his maturity on the field and was quickly appointed captain in July 2006 ahead of the country's five-match one-day series with Bangladesh.

The new skipper led his inexperienced side to an unexpected 3-2 series win and took all the plaudits for the way in which he marshalled his troops.

Utseya showed a shrewd appreciation of the subtle aspects of captaincy. His ability to motivate a somewhat divided team and an acute awareness of tactics during the matches were surprising for a player aged only 21.

He leads a team short on experience and quality to face a group which contains hosts West Indies, Pakistan and Ireland and, while many have already written off his side, the team will be optimistic they can cause a few surprises.

Utseya leads by example on the field and his intelligent captaincy and level-headedness are one of the plus points to emerge from the troubled country's recent demise in international cricket.

While the hopes of their nations rest on the shoulders of Ricky Ponting, Michael Vaughan et al, it is poignant that the cricketing future of Zimbabwe rests on those of Utseya.

The lure of the World Cup has been the glue which has held Zimbabwe cricket together for the past year.

And while it seems Utseya bringing any kind of success would be used to vindicate the current political regime, heavy failure could see Zimbabwe slip further into the cricketing wilderness.