WORCESTERSHIRE'S Steve Rhodes has played a major role in bringing a bright young prospect from Zimbabwe over to play club cricket in the county.

Tatenda Taibu, who is starring for Worcester in the Birmingham League, is only 19 but the wicketkeeper-batsman has already played four Test matches and 12 one-day internationals for his country.

The connection came when Rhodes coached Zimbabwe in the U19 World Cup in New Zealand last winter, when Taibu was captain -- indeed, he was named player of the tournament.

He said: "I thought to myself that I didn't really have anything to do in the winter back home. I had a chat with Steve and he said he would organise me a club to play for over here."

It's the first time Taibu has played club cricket in England, although he was a member of the full Zimbabwe touring party in this country two years ago.

And he's enjoying the experience, saying: "It is very good considering you play a lot more games than we do at home. In Zimbabwe we play once a week -- here we play on Saturday and Sunday and also have the evening league.

"The ground at Worcester is beautiful and the wickets, which were quite slow early on, are improving now the sun has come out.

"I've been playing all right. I'm averaging around 35 on a Saturday but I'm not really happy with myself because I haven't scored big runs yet, although I've got a couple of hundreds on a Sunday."

He hasn't generally kept wicket for Worcester, being used instead as a medium-pace bowler -- "I usually bowl at the death."

Taibu, who wants to establish himself in the national side in the coming years, says he's been made really welcome at the club.

He added: "They have been brilliant -- they are a good bunch of lads and we have some fun together. I really would like to come again, but it just depends on our international cricket."

Taibu has also been recruited by Worcestershire to act as 12th man on occasions, including their current County Championship match against Durham at New Road.

"Considering I don't have much to do during the week, it is really lovely to come down and help out. I would have come down to watch anyway."