Team work taking cricket forward
HOMBARUME STREET in Chitungwiza used to be tarred.
In 2004, it already had patches of tar still holding on.
If you had asked the young man standing in the dusty patch of road with a tennis ball in his hand, he would have said he preferred it not to be tarred.
As he spun a tennis ball in his hand and stared down the road at the kid with a plank in his hand defiantly guarding a five-litre tin still bearing the name of a famous jam brand, he looked every bit the professional bowler.
He moved at pace down the road, took the bowling stride and released a zipping delivery that bounced up just in front of the surprised batter, who stuck out his plank involuntarily, sending the ball looping into the air.
Another young man, standing unnoticed in a driveway, hopped out — quick as lightning— and grabbed the ball.
An excited squall followed.
The umpire figure, clearly dressed in his mom’s bonnet and an oversized white shirt, stuck up his finger (the rules here were sometimes made up on the spot).
The batter dragged his plank to a flowerbed nearby, which was doing duty as the pavilion, and his place was taken by a young girl with a plastic bat.
Back in the 2000s, cricket rocked Zimbabwe like it had never before.
Riding on some superlative performances and the emergence of young black players, notably from the Takashinga Cricket Academy, the team captured the hearts and imagination of the nation.
Scenes like these were common in high-density areas, as young people were attracted by performances of players like Tatenda Taibu, with his spectacular wicket keeping; Hamilton Masakadza, with his debut century; Doug Marillier, with his scoop shot; and Andy Blignaut steaming in to bowl opponents out.
Children were playing cricket on the streets, and the old plastic football made of recycled plastic waste was giving way to cricket.
That cricket flame burned, and then went out.
Recent catastrophic failures kept fans away and the sport lost its lustre.
After enduring a prolonged slump, upheaval in management, match-fixing issues involving two former captains and failure to qualify for successive global competitions, cricket looked down and out.
Until now...
Zimbabwe Cricket made a coaching change, bringing in legendary former captain Dave Houghton, a man who once hit 266 in a Test match and the country’s first Test captain.
They also shook up the administration, bringing in more former players with Test, ODI and T20 experience at the highest level. The results have followed.
The Supporters Union took off and it has become a major fixture at matches.
The recent fever in cricket, especially the electric support from the Supporters Union, has captured the imagination.
It has also, clearly, helped raise the morale of the team.
The Union shows high levels of organisation and commitment, and is turning local matches into spectacular family festivals.
Young players have been added to the team, and the infusion of youth with the consistency and commitment of senior players like
Sikandar Raza and Regis Chakabva, is bearing fruit early on.
The future is taking shape.
There is another part of team-planning that is often overlooked in telling the story.
Cricket is a tactical game and one of the biggest factors in a match is the state of the pitch.
And the condition of the pitch is determined by the captain and the grounds curator.
In Zimbabwe, this would be Fungai Shanganya, a laid back, unassuming gentleman who never played the game at a competitive level but understands every blade of grass it is played on.
To understand his impact on a game, Zimbabwe once beat Australia in a Test match in Harare.
The Aussies signed a jersey and looked for Shanganya, showing their respect for his workmanship in helping the team to shine.
The effort taken to maintain cricket pitches is always noted.
Recall that when the National Sports Stadium and Barbourfields needed some work done on the pitch, they turned to Zimbabwe Cricket.
The unity of purpose shown by the administration, the technical team, the players, the fans and the facilities management is a blueprint that can lead to success.
Sometimes the biggest stumbling block to success is one of those factors not lining up correctly.
It is early days and there will be tougher tests than Bangladesh.
But recall, this Chevrons team was losing to such teams as Afghanistan, Namibia and Nepal, and the recent series represents a quantum leap forward.
Zimbabwe Cricket is taking the right steps in the right direction and showing other federations that even while there is little activity, it is important to check the pulse of the sport and take action.