Father: Rory Ervine, Brothers: Sean Ervine and Ryan Ervine, Wife: Belinda
Craig Ervine is a stylish left-handed middle-order batter from Zimbabwe who has been a mainstay of his country’s batting lineup for over a decade. The 40-year-old from Harare comes from a family with deep cricketing roots—his father, uncle, and brothers Sean and Ryan all played the game at various levels, with Sean enjoying a successful county career with Hampshire. What makes Ervine’s career remarkable is that he nearly lost his right hand as a teenager after slipping on broken glass, requiring a three-hour reconstructive operation that was so severe amputation was considered. His recovery from that injury focused his ambitions, and he won a place at the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy before making his international debut. Ervine has been a consistent performer for Zimbabwe across formats, known for his elegant strokeplay and ability to anchor innings, with a particularly strong record in ODIs where his average exceeds 35. His career has had its twists, including an 18-month break from international cricket in 2013-14 over contract disputes, but he returned in time for the 2015 World Cup and has remained a key figure in Zimbabwean cricket.
| Batting & Fielding | |||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct |
| Tests | 31 | 61 | 3 | 1931 | 160 | 33.29 | 3930 | 49.13 | 4 | 7 | 213 | 14 | 27 |
| ODIs | 128 | 124 | 15 | 3600 | 130* | 33.02 | 4696 | 76.66 | 4 | 23 | 350 | 47 | 58 |
| T20Is | 71 | 70 | 4 | 1449 | 70 | 21.95 | 1370 | 105.76 | 0 | 9 | 143 | 30 | 31 |
| FC | 112 | 201 | 15 | 8171 | 215 | 43.93 | - | - | 23 | 36 | - | - | 109 |
| List A | 235 | 224 | 35 | 7329 | 195 | 38.77 | - | - | 14 | 39 | - | - | 104 |
| T20s | 139 | 130 | 16 | 2806 | 120* | 24.61 | 2372 | 118.29 | 1 | 18 | 270 | 77 | 66 |
| Bowling | |||||||||||||
| Format | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 31 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| ODIs | 128 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T20Is | 71 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| FC | 112 | - | 210 | 143 | 3 | 2/44 | - | 47.66 | 4.08 | 70.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| List A | 235 | - | 164 | 127 | 1 | 1/25 | 1/25 | 127.00 | 4.64 | 164.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 139 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
He is a left-handed middle-order batter known for his elegant strokeplay and ability to anchor innings in the ODI format.
He slipped and fell on broken glass in his family's living room, requiring a three-hour reconstructive operation on his right hand. The injury was so severe that amputation was initially considered as an option.
He has been a consistent performer in ODIs with an average exceeding 35, including multiple centuries, making him one of Zimbabwe's most reliable batters in the format.
He made his debut for Zimbabwe in the early 2010s after progressing through the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy and age-group teams.
On Zimbabwe's tour to the Caribbean in early 2013, he averaged 60.50 in ODIs against West Indies and was the leading run-scorer across all three formats.
In 2013, he refused a paltry winter contract offer from Zimbabwe Cricket and left to play club cricket in Ireland and Grade Cricket in Australia before returning ahead of the 2015 World Cup.
He has played for various Zimbabwean franchises including Midlands, Southern Rocks, and Matabeleland Tuskers.
