"Virat Kohli has all the qualities of a great leader," says former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu

Q: What do you think India needs to do in order to win Tests overseas?

Tatenda Taibu: I think the question you’ve asked has a very easy way of doing it. You cannot target the national team players because they have got families and are already busy. Now, what India could do is to setup an Indian Cricket Academy in countries like England, South Africa and Australia – I would pick these three countries because they produce very good cricketers. So, they will do a project similar to that I had with the Rising Stars Academy in which young players from 18 to 22 (players from Zimbabwe) are touring England for six months and we’ve got them a lot of competitive matches against county sides and academies. If you search for Rising Stars academy which is under the website flashsport.co.uk, you will have a better understanding of what I did with Zimbabwe cricket.

So, India can do a similar project since they’ve got money but target the younger group. You know, the thing with cricket you have to learn to play in different conditions by playing there for a considerable amount of time which help them get accustomed to the conditions. If you target the younger players and send them to these countries every summer, you have coaches who coach them and let them play a lot of cricket, so you get accustomed to different conditions. Now, when they make their jump to the national team they’re already accustomed to the conditions. So, that’s the plan I would have for India to win abroad.

Q: What made you quit cricket so early?

Tatenda Taibu: I was asking myself some serious questions - more life questions. Because my life has been all about cricket and I was asking myself if it was all about cricket. So, I wanted to find some peace, you know playing well and being a credit to society are two different things. A person can ever play so well but be a horrible person and I was asking myself what life is all about. So, from that question, I knew that I would find my answer spiritually. My character is such that when I’m looking for something I would blind out everything else for me to be able to find my answers and cricket started getting into the way for me to find those answers. However, my autobiography will be out in March, I think that will give more understanding as to why I had to retire at an early age.

Q: Why do you think Zimbabwe cricket is dying? Is Mugabe one of the reasons for it?

Tatenda Taibu: Well, to be honest, I was going to answer your question regarding Zimbabwe cricket, but I would rather not for a lot of reasons. All I know is it’s just a sad situation.

Q: One advice you’d give to the budding cricketers all over the world?

Tatenda Taibu: Well a lot of cricketers, in a lot of interviews that I’ve done, a few times when I’m asked to give advice to the budding cricketers it goes without saying- you know, for you to make it you have got to work hard, you have got to be determined and push against all odds. So, that goes without saying. But, after succeeding, a character of a person goes beyond what’s produced on a cricket field. A person can be a good athlete and a terrible human being, what good does that do to anyone. So, the challenge really or what I would advise is to focus more on being a credit to society that even after your glory days are gone, you are still respected by people. So, it’s more life values than the actual sport. There comes a time when you have to retire but you still have to live life after that.