In New Delhi, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza and head coach Justin Sammons praised opener Brian Bennett after the 22-year-old had a successful campaign in the Men's T20 World Cup, with both suggesting that he has a bright future ahead of him.
Bennett finished the tournament as Zimbabwe's top run-scorer, with 292 runs, a record for a batter from his country in T20 World Cups. He was dismissed for 15 against South Africa on Sunday, caught at mid-off by Anrich Nortje, which was one of the few times this tournament that he had been dismissed before making a significant contribution.
Raza praised Bennett's performance, saying, "First of all, credit to Brian Bennett, his family, and his coaches. They have helped him develop into a fine player.
"I have done nothing to help him. The only thing I have done is to give him the platform to succeed," Raza said.
Sammons added that Bennett's development had exceeded expectations. "When we had Brian Bennett, we knew he was going to be special," Sammons said.
The head coach also emphasized the importance of Bennett's role as a future leader within the Zimbabwe dressing room. "The more he plays, the more senior he becomes. He is performing well now, but he will also take other players with him and help them," Sammons said.
Zimbabwe's time in the T20 World Cup is over. But if one goes by the words of Raza and Sammons, then Bennett's story is only just beginning to bloom at the international level.
