'I surprised myself by adapting to T20s'
Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza talks about the changes he has made to his batting style, and where his country's cricket stands

"Just before I got dropped, I hadn't been scoring too many runs, but I wasn't feeling in bad touch. I was playing well but not doing it for long enough" • AFP
It is always difficult when you are left out of the team, especially once you have been playing for this long. But I also understood that it was to do with a little bit of reform with the new board that was in place. They wanted to see a bit of change and a few other guys being tried. My performance too hadn't been good enough at the time. What made it easier to deal with was knowing that the board wanted to see a few new guys. But at least I was playing in the A side and I had a chance to make a comeback.
I don't think it changes the plans, but obviously it was really disappointing [not to qualify]. It did set us back quite a bit. We did a lot of planning in the run-up to the World T20 to qualify for the main round. We didn't qualify for the last one [in 2014] as well, and it was one of the biggest things we had targeted.
"Andy Flower has always been a very big influence, just watching how he blossomed and improved as a cricketer and how he went to the top of the rankings"
It was very busy with the shorter versions of the game, with the 50-over World Cup not so long ago and the World T20 having just happened, so it was a little difficult for them [the board] to organise Test matches. But there are Tests coming up in July and two series before the end of this year.
There was always a bit of expectation on me, especially after I scored the hundred on debut. There was quite a big void in the team to be filled. I was starting with other guys who hadn't played too much international cricket. We were all starting at the same time, so getting back into that set-up was a bit more comfortable. These were guys I had played with all along.
Obviously it was very hard. You want experienced guys, who lead you along, tell you and guide you in what you're doing. We didn't have that, so we had to learn it for ourselves. The coaches had a much bigger job then because they were playing the role of senior players while also being coaches.
I rate Tests as the purest form of the game. It is the most difficult, so I would have wanted to play a lot more Tests by now. What happened then couldn't be controlled really. We just have to take it from where we are. I look forward to playing a bit more Test cricket for Zimbabwe. We are getting some more games now.
When I first started out, growing up with guys like Tatenda Taibu, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Vusi Sibanda, I was always the slower guy, whose job was to hold up an end while the others who had more flourish played shots. When T20 cricket came about, I thought that would be the end of me (laughs).
I think what has helped is playing more. You start to learn how to increase your strike rate and play a few more shots. You add a few more things to your game.
"We have got some good fighters in the team, because being in the situation that we are in, you have to be a fighter and keep going"
I always looked up to the West Indies cricketers. Brian Lara was one guy I liked a lot. Also, Chris Gayle - I started watching him just before I started playing. He also came to Zimbabwe in my debut series and scored quite a bit against us. It was encouraging for me to see how he played.
I try to stay out of what they do as much as I can. It is a little bit difficult for me talking to my brothers. I try not to be too involved, but I will help them now and again. I try to let them express themselves as much as possible and let them learn their game on their own.
In this generation, we have a lot of allrounders. They are pretty athletic as well. We have had an athletic side in the past too. We have got some good fighters in the team, because being in the situation that we are in and being in the condition that we live in, you have to be a fighter and keep going.
Mohammad Isam is ESPNcricinfo's Bangladesh correspondent. @isam84