Because of his batting exploits the African nation rapidly became a household name. Take for instance the 142 against New Zealand in a 1987 World Cup match at Hyderabad, which still remains the highest score by a wicketkeeper in the abridged version. After stepping down as national coach, the former Zimbabwe skipper continued to work with future cricketers in a country where the game is not as popular as football. Never one to turn away from offering his insight, Houghton, now working as a television commentator, sat down to chat with Daily Star Sport correspondent Al-Amin at the makeshift press box in Harare on Thursday. I know when we first played Test match we tried to stick to the basics.
Batting means occupying the crease for at least an hour.
During that period of play fifteen overs will be bowled. Out of the ninety balls batsmen face, they have to negotiate 45 'good' balls. Running between the wickets is also vital. To keep the scoreboard ticking over, converting ones into twos really helps. But above all batsmen must curb their aggressive instincts.