Pressure mounts on underperforming all-rounder, Brad Evans

BRAD Evans is under heavy pressure after another poor performance for Zimbabwe in the first ODI against Sri Lanka at Harare Sports Club on Friday.

The all-rounder went wicketless with the ball and then fell for a golden duck when Zimbabwe needed him most. His dismissal in the 50th over, with just 10 runs required to keep the home team alive, became the turning point in Zimbabwe’s narrow seven-run defeat. Evans’ returns of one for 57 in 10 overs were the fourth worst bowling figures of the six bowlers that were used by captain Sean Williams on the day.

Sri Lanka posted 298/6, with Pathum Nissanka scoring 76 and Janith Liyanage 70 not out, leading the charge. Zimbabwe fought back bravely in the chase thanks to Sikandar Raza’s 92, Ben Curran’s 70, and Sean Williams’ 57. But the lower order, including Evans, could not finish the job. For someone touted to be a genuine all-rounder with a top score of 33 not out in 16 outings and an average of 11 in ODIs, his returns with the bat at international level tell a story of a tail-ender who can edge a boundary or two over the ropes, not the all-rounder he is made out to be by his legion of followers who are blinded by colour.

It was another tough outing for Evans, who has already struggled with injury and did not do himself any favours in the Zim Afro T10 in 2024, hiding his injury from the team owners because he was desperate for the money that came with signing for Bulawayo Braves Jaguars, but never featured for them in any of the games. Like everything in life, lies have short legs, and it will take a miracle for the Zim Afro T10 owners to sign Evans for this year’s edition.

While those in favour of Evans’ inclusion into the Zimbabwe white-ball series against Sri Lanka as an all-rounder ahead of Luke Jongwe will not admit it, Evans is just a bowler who should be considered as such against other bowlers fighting for their places on merit in the national team. Evans is always desperate to be a hero and got the opportunity to be one when Zimbabwe needed 10 runs in five balls to win but fluffed his lines. In true Evans style of wanting to be a hero in everything, he tried to scoop Dilshan Madushanka over the man at short fine leg instead of taking a single and giving the strike to the set batsman Tony Munyonga at the other end.

At the ripe age of 28 years, Evans had a rare chance to take his team home and show his much-touted all-round ability but fumbled at the most crucial time when the game was Zimbabwe’s to lose.

Zimbabwe Cricket chairperson Tavengwa Mukuhlani has previously spoken about the challenges of competing against stronger opposition, noting that players select themselves into the side and drop themselves. However, Evans’ inability to perform even in winnable matches has intensified the debate about his reliability. Mukuhlani had argued that the story of Zimbabwe against South Africa and New Zealand was all about the quality of the opposition, not team selection. He might have been proved right, with Evans being the only new inclusion in the side that has been playing for the country against different opposition.

For those who are in the know, Brad’s obnoxious attitude has always overshadowed his potential, a case in point being in 2022 when Zimbabwe fans came to the airport to welcome the team from the T20 World Cup in Australia, where Evans had bowled the final over to give Zimbabwe victory over Pakistan; he snubbed the fans, something that bordered on racism as the majority of fans were black, but the powers that be at ZC, who were present, played down the incident.

The irate Castle Corner, a group of supporters who have supported the national team in good and bad times, were left heartbroken. Evans later apologised in private, but the damage was already done; many were not surprised, as he was playing from the same playbook that got his father Craig dismissed from coaching the junior teams at Hellenic Academy, a prestigious private college.

As the second and final ODI approaches on Sunday, Evans’ place is under scrutiny. The team must decide whether to back him for another chance or look for other options. If he delivers, Evans could silence his doubters. But another failure might signal the end of his international future. With the series on the line and the pressure mounting, tomorrow could be a career-defining moment for Evans.