Hwezha’s sad twist of fate

LEFT-ARM spinner Wellington Masakadza waited nearly two years to bounce back into the Chevrons but was condemned back to the sidelines just two hours into his first training session with the men’s national cricket team.

The 23-year-old joined the squad, which was coming from the tour of Europe, in Sri Lanka on June 27 and injured his right ankle 24 hours later.

“I stepped on the boundary rope during a fielding session in the morning,” revealed the younger brother to the Chevron pair of Hamilton and Shingi Masakadza.

Masakadza returned home on June 30 and has since had his ankle put in a plaster.

“There are certain things you cannot control in life and the best thing for me to do is to move on. I am told I will be in a plaster for three weeks and after that I will start my rehab,” he said.

Masakadza - whose last ODI appearance was against Afghanistan back on December 29, 2015 in Sharjah - said he received a lot of support from his national teammates and coaching staff.

“The guys gave me a lot of encouragement, they really said positive stuff to me and I am grateful for that,” he said. “I think I will be back to full fitness in August, but I will take it one day at a time.”

“Hwezha”, as Wellington is popularly known in cricket circles, has been capped 10 times in ODIs, picking up 15 wickets with an impressive average of 25,06 and an economy of 4,26.

He made his ODI debut against Ireland at Harare Sports Club in 2015 and took 2/45 (10) in a match Zimbabwe won by two wickets.

Meanwhile, the trio of Regis Chakabva, Natsai Mushangwe and Malcolm Waller are expected to leave for Sri Lanka tomorrow to join the team for the solitary Test match of the tour.