A tall right-arm medium pacer, Panyangara, shot into prominence during the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2003-04 when he took 6/31 against Australia, sending them to a crushing defeat. Due to the players' rebellion, he was fast-tracked to the Zimbabwean national squad and made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2004. Early in 2005, a stress fracture of the back forced him to miss cricket for more than a year, but he made a comeback to the national side soon after his recuperation.

During his younger days, he was a very good lower-order batsman and his all-round skills earned the recognition of Takashinga Sports Club, and he was playing for their first team while in Form Four. He won selection for the national Under-19 side in 2003 for the first time.

Panyangara represented Zimbabwe in the 2011 World Cup. However, even after Zimbabwe made their return to Test fold in 2011, Panyangara did not get a chance to bowl in that format until 2013. He was particularly impressive in the two-match series against Pakistan in September 2013, in which he took nine wickets.

Panyangara made his T20I debut in May 2013 against Bangladesh in Bulawayo. In the T20I match against Ireland in March 2014, Panyangara registered bowling figures of 4/37, his best in T20Is so far.

Zimbabwe Cricket expelled Panyangara after he shared a video of Mitchell Johnson's Ashes bowling among his teammates. They also fined him US$1,000 and he was not allowed to take part in the tri-series that involved South Africa and Australia. However, he made a quick comeback on the tour of Bangladesh, where he had a very good series, he picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests and ended the series with 14 scalps. He along with Tendai Chatara will lead the Zimbabwean attack in the 2015 World Cup.

A tall man, Panyangara is able to use his height to good effect and extract bounce from the wicket. His celebration after taking a wicket is an extension of his personality - jovial, cheerful and exuberant.

By Cricketlineguruji staff