Most Test wickets this year - the 6ft 8in pace bowler with England in his sights

There are a fewer things to cognize astir Blessing Muzarabani.

He's very gangly - each of 6ft 8in - and he's a beautiful man. Softly spoken, pinch a near-permanent smile. He besides takes wickets. Lots of them.

If it is somewhat disingenuous to trumpet nan gait bowler arsenic nan leading wicket-taker successful Test cricket, external this twelvemonth - Zimbabwe's 4 Tests are much than immoderate different squad person played - it is much instructive to look astatine his achievements on nan way.

In nan first 3 of those Tests nan 28-year-old took a six-wicket innings haul. Only 4 different seamers successful history person taken six-fors successful 3 back-to-back Tests. Two of them, George Lohmann and Tom Richardson, did truthful successful nan 19th Century. The different 2 are all-time greats Imran Khan and Malcolm Marshall. Good company.

Now Muzarabani takes connected England.

If Zimbabwe triumph astatine Trent Bridge this week it will spell down arsenic 1 of nan top upsets successful Test history, but that does not mean Muzarabani cannot do harm to Ben Stokes' men. Think of Tim Murtagh taking five for Ireland to vessel England retired for 85 astatine Lord's successful 2019.

Muzarabani will person back-up, sharing nan caller shot pinch Richard Ngarava. They person been friends since they were children.

"We grew up together," Muzarabani tells BBC Sport. "We lived really close. We played thoroughfare cricket, schools cricket and age-group cricket together. We cognize each different really good and we've ever been close.

"I get a small spot nice, but Rich is connected you. He's much aggressive, particularly if we're not getting nan wickets. He brings thing different."

For Muzarabani and Ngarava, nan first vulnerability to organised cricket was nan Takashinga club, conscionable southbound of Harare. A predominantly achromatic club, it is simply a powerhouse of cricket successful Zimbabwe, responsible for galore internationals.

"I started playing location erstwhile I was six," says Muzarabani. "The nine has fixed maine truthful much, to beryllium nan cricketer I americium today.

"Some of nan facilities, you person to pay, but pinch Takashinga nan crushed was disposable for america for free. I person a batch of respect for Takashinga and everyone there.

"It's a batch of young guys from humble backgrounds that emotion nan game. I tin opportunity a batch astir Takashinga. It is simply a nine that has fixed a batch to Zimbabwe cricket."

Muzarabani did not earnestly see nan imaginable of a profession arsenic a cricketer until he had a maturation spurt astir nan property of 18 - "I was ever tall, past I really started getting tall." At 21 he was a Test cricketer, a debut against South Africa connected Boxing Day successful 2017 only his sixth first-class match.

By then, though, nan wheels were successful mobility for Muzarabani to change his path.

With nan thief of erstwhile Zimbabwe skipper Tatenda Taibu, supplier Rob Humphries and Winston Weekes, a legendary fig calved successful Barbados and pinch connections to Zimbabwe, Muzarabani had nan opportunity to region his world profession and subordinate region cricket arsenic a Kolpak player.

In 2018 Muzarabani played for Derbyshire's 2nd XI and, successful nan adjacent week, impressed capable successful Northamptonshire's reserves to beryllium taken on.

"It was a really, really reliable decision," he says. "I knew that I wanted to learn. I was reasoning I would travel here, study really to beryllium a master subordinate and spell backmost to Zim a amended player."

Back problem restricted Muzarabani's playing clip pinch Northants, but nan wounded did not impact nan learning process.

On nan field, Ben Sanderson showed him really to vessel a afloat magnitude successful English conditions. Off nan field, he formed a tight enslaved pinch Saif Zaib, Jack White and Ben Curran, nan second now a Zimbabwe team-mate.

Even erstwhile he could not play for Northants, nan region still put Muzarabani to work.

"When I was injured I was touring nan sponsorship boxes astatine Northampton," he says. "I'd spell successful location and commencement conversations pinch fans. It really helped maine to communicate, really to transportation myself arsenic a master - extracurricular cricket, conscionable being a bully quality being."

Brexit ended nan Kolpak era and Muzarabani returned to nan scheme to resume his world career. He was backmost successful Zimbabwe colours successful precocious 2020, a "better bowler" for his sojourn successful England.

Now his profession is really gathering pace. A increasing estimation arsenic a white-ball usability has earned Muzarabani an Indian Premier League deal pinch Royal Challengers Bengaluru, nether coach and compatriot Andy Flower. Muzarabani will caput for India consecutive aft nan Test successful Nottingham.

The whip successful Muzarabani's action has led to comparisons pinch South Africa's Kagiso Rabada. With his tallness and skid, location whitethorn beryllium much similarities pinch erstwhile England gait bowler Steven Finn.

Zimbabwe's chequered past intends location are fewer very meaningful statistic to overhaul, though Muzarabani has nan chance to carve his niche. This twelvemonth nary squad play much than Zimbabwe's 11 Tests, meaning he tin build from his existent 51 wickets towards becoming only nan 2nd bowler from nan state to scope 100.

The different to top 3 figures, external is Heath Streak, his 216 improbable to beryllium overhauled. Even Streak cannot lucifer Muzarabani's mean of 21.84, by acold nan lowest of immoderate Zimbabwe bowler to person sent down astatine slightest 60 overs successful Test cricket.

Zimbabwe person not played a Test against England since 2003.

Before past immoderate of nan country's astir celebrated cricketing moments came against nan English: Eddo Brandes astatine nan 1992 World Cup, England coach David Lloyd proclaiming "we flipping murdered 'em" successful nan first drawn Test pinch nan scores level successful Bulawayo successful 1996.

And 2025?

"England are 1 of nan champion teams successful nan world," says Muzarabani. "We judge successful ourselves. We judge tin win. We conscionable person bring our 'A' crippled to hit these guys."