'Playing for Zimbabwe means a heck of a lot'

At only 21, Sean Ervine is already emerging as a key figure for Zimbabwe. A batting allrounder, Ervine has played the majority of his international cricket in one-dayers, compared to only four Tests to date. John Ward caught up with him after he returned from a tough VB Series in Australia.

Looking back to the Australian tour, an off-field knee injury forced you to miss the second Test. What exactly happened?
We were playing a game of soccer after the second or third day of the first Test. I jumped up, landed a bit awkwardly and twisted my knee a bit. I've had a few of these episodes before and it didn't really bother me much. I walked off limping and iced it, went for scans the next day, and my cruciate ligament had virtually disappeared! The two ligaments on the side of my left knee are fairly strong, so it seemed to be all right. I batted the next day and got 53, but since then it's been pain-free and I just have to keep working on it in the gym. There was talk of an operation, but Austin Jeanes, the specialist here, had a doctor's report and said there was no need for an operation.

Since the England tour last year, do you feel you have improved your game?
Dramatically! After the England tour I spent six weeks in Australia with a batting coach called Nutty Holding, who also coaches Justin Langer. He taught me a great deal and changed a few things, and I put them to work. He altered my stance and had a few theories of his own, about trusting your instincts, waiting for the ball, hitting the ball in front of your pad, that sort of thing. He is also a left-hander, so that helped me a lot. I went back to see him when we went over for the Test series and, later, the one-dayers. I had a few more hits with him, and it seems to have improved. I felt a difference straight away.

What will you be working on in the future?
I just have to carry on with what Nutty said: as a sportsman you stick to what works. As an allrounder, I also have to work on my bowling, and this last Australian tour was good because I managed to get both departments right.

Do you consider yourself mainly a batsman who bowls or vice versa?
It started off as vice versa, but I think now I've changed to a batsman who bowls.

In the last few months you have clean-bowled both Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, as well as dismissing Steve Waugh ...
That felt pretty good! It's always good to be able to compete at the highest level, and to remove one of those guys - what a pleasure. Brian Lara's wicket was a reverse-swinging yorker in a one-day game, and Sachin was a ball on a fairly good line and length that nipped back and hit the top of off stump. Steve Waugh's wicket was a great pleasure, especially in his last Test at the WACA. To have had dinner with him the night before was even better!

How were the Aussies on and off the field. Did they give you any advice?
They were pretty good. They play their cricket hard, but if you play well you always hear a comment from Gilly [Adam Gilchrist] behind the stumps, saying "good shot". There's not that much socialising on the field, but after the game there's a great bond between Zimbabwe and Australia. I got plenty of advice: after the Sydney Test I think the guys were in the changing-room until about 12 o'clock at night, still chatting and trying to learn more.

What does it really mean to you to play for Zimbabwe?
It means a heck of a lot. You don't often get the opportunity to represent your country at the highest level, and for me to do that at 21 is a great pleasure, to say the least.

What do you feel is your proudest achievement so far?
Definitely my hundred in the VB Series against India. It would have been even more special if we had won, but it was still a great feeling.

You and Stuart Carlisle seem to have a thing between you about run-outs. The one in that match seemed to be more his fault.
Yes - when the pressure is on, your mind goes through a whole lot of different things, and when that happened I was expecting Stuey to stay there and win the game. That wouldn't have been so bad, but it wasn't to be. Then I managed to get him back in the last one-day game!

In your career so far, who have you found the most difficult opponents?
To bowl to, I think Adam Gilchrist. The number of times he actually blocks a ball seems to be zero. You can be a fraction off your line and length and you will just get cracked. Probably the hardest bowler to face would be Jason Gillespie. He just hits that line and length and is always doing something with the ball.

What particular personal ambitions do you have at the moment?
I don't really have much in the way of personal ambitions. My goals are very minor and I just take every day as it comes. If I go out to bat, I obviously look to do my best, and likewise with the ball. It's just too far ahead for me to say. But definitely it's one of my goals to get a Test century, if not bigger. I'm always looking for bigger scores, especially against Bangladesh.