In Chitungwiza, a high-density town in Zimbabwe, a local cricket club has introduced cricket to over 20 public schools and groomed top players for international events, including the World Cup.
By Tafadzwa Ufumeli, bird story agency
Malcolm Chikuwa, coach of the Gladiators Cricket Club, is a happy and contented man he walks around Chitungwiza – a dormitory town 30 kilometres South East of Harare – with a proverbial spring in his step.
Four of his players are part of the national cricket team that will face India in August 2023, in a series of One Day International matches hosted by Zimbabwe.
The four – Wessly Madhevere, Tony Munyonga, Milton Shumba and Clive Madande – can all trace their roots to the Gladiators Cricket Club. They will also be part of the squad representing Zimbabwe at Australia’s 2023 T20 World Cup.
“Growing up, I used to wish to play at the World Cup, but things didn’t happen that way. I am happy that somehow, I am still being represented at the World Cup by the players we train here,” Chikuwa said of his mission to meld top cricketers from young enthusiasts in some of the country’s poorest areas.
Cricket has long been considered an elite sport in Zimbabwe, practised by youngsters attending private schools. Public schools do not offer cricket as a sporting discipline. So when players from high-density areas make up a quarter of the national team squad, ‘it feels like a miracle’, according to Chikuwa.
“The journey has not been easy, but we’ve made significant progress. Before the entrance of the Gladiators Cricket Club, all these schools were confined to a narrow choice of either athletics or football,” the coach said of his mission to scout young talent in Chitungwiza over the past 15 years.
“The club started in 2005, and I joined in 2007. We are trying to save lost talent. When you take a look at it, you (now) have more than 20 primary schools playing cricket in Chitungwiza,” he added.
The club also stands in the gap which emerges when learners who love cricket leave primary school.
“We are trying to ensure that talent is not lost. Those guys from primary school when they finish grade seven, we bring them to play for the club,” said Chikuwa.
Through this model, the club has grown from being a community-based setup to a club of national relevance. They are also the reigning cricket champions in Zimbabwe.
“Recently, we won the National Premier League; it is something we really wanted to do as Chitungwiza cricket. We feel that at least we showed our young players that we are headed somewhere,” said Chikuwa.
Besides becoming a force to reckon with on the local cricket scene, the club has become a source of talent for other clubs in the country.
“Almost 80 to 90 per cent who played for the Eagles Provincial Team came through our structures. Our club is represented at all levels of the national teams across different age groups,” he added.
Many families in the area never imagined a family member boarding an aeroplane.
However, through cricket, mothers from Chitungwiza have celebrated at the departure lounge of Robert Mugabe International Airport as their children travel to represent their country.
The Gladiators are also nurturing female cricket players.
Kellis Ndlovu, a 16-year-old who has already become a household name in the Lady Chevrons, Zimbabwe Women National Cricket Team, is one of their most recent products that has burst on the international scene.
Ndlovu took the most wickets and scored the most runs when Zimbabwe played Papua New Guinea in September 2022 during a T20 World Cup Qualifier match.
She has earned seven caps and is the youngest female cricket player to score a century for her country at the national team level.
Chikuwa says all these achievements could be tripled if they had enough resources to sustain their cricketing operations fully.
The club trains from rented facilities and negotiates venues whenever they have a match.
“I think we are in need of a cricket ground. Currently, we are using St Aidan’s Primary School as our training ground, but when it comes to league matches we are forced to hire good grounds like Old Hararians,” he said.
Those recurring costs for a club without sponsorship have sometimes made life difficult for those manning Gladiators Cricket Club.
“As senior officials at the club, we pay monthly subscriptions, which makes the club a bit stable,” Chikuwa explained.
For Chikuwa and his colleagues at Gladiators Cricket Club, seeing young talent from humble families soar to the heights of international competition is far greater than any level of financial reward.
bird story agency
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