Don Makanyanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE national anthem played as young boys and girls stood proudly on a dusty rural field, their voices rising together in a moment that felt bigger than cricket.
There were no fancy facilities. No expensive kits. No official Zimbabwe Cricket jerseys.
But there was pride, and there were dreams.
Among the images captured at Kawanzaruwa Primary School in Mashonaland West was one that said more than words ever could.
The children were wearing plain T-shirts, but written across their backs in ordinary pen were the names of Zimbabwean cricket stars they admired.
Unable to afford official jerseys, they had made their own.
Their jerseys were handwritten, but their dreams were not.
The images shared by passionate grassroots coach Edmund Mtetwa offered a powerful glimpse into his Rural Cricket programme and its mission to take the game to children in communities where it is often a distant dream.
For Mtetwa, the journey began almost by accident.
“I was introduced to Rural Cricket by Sister Clarice. When she introduced me to the rural areas, I used to coach basketball, soccer and rugby, but I decided to take cricket to rural areas,” he said.
What began as an idea has since become a personal mission to make cricket accessible to children whose biggest disadvantage is often simply where they were born.
“I said the first step we can climb will be the first of a thousand miles,” said Mtetwa.
That first step has not been easy.
Mtetwa works independently, travelling from Glen View in Harare to rural communities in Mashonaland West, often facing transport challenges as he tries to keep the programme moving.
“I am working independently. I was provided with equipment, but transport is a challenge. If I can sort out transport, I could cover nearly four rural schools a week, as I travel from Glen View to Mashonaland West,” he said.
Mashonaland West Cricket has offered support, something Mtetwa believes could help take the initiative to another level.
“Mashonaland West Cricket is offering support and I hope to secure a contract one day,” he said.
The equipment being used in the programme was supplied by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), with Mtetwa initially starting his work at Northwood Farm Primary School in the Murombedzi area.
“Yes, ZC provided the equipment. The first school I worked with, Northwood Farm Primary School in the Murombedzi area, received some bats,” he said.
“The equipment I use is supplied by ZC; they provided it with the aim of finding the next Chevrons captain from Mashonaland West.”
From Northwood Farm, the programme expanded to Mutipitipi Primary School before reaching Kawanzaruwa Primary School, where the handwritten jerseys captured the imagination of those who saw the photographs.
“I started with Northwood Farm School, followed by Mutipitipi Primary School and then Kawanzaruwa, where you can see the children wearing the T-shirts and holding the pens,” he said.
For these children, cricket is being introduced in an environment where resources are limited and sporting opportunities are
few.
Schools are doing their best to support vulnerable learners, some of whom are orphans, while operating with limited resources.
Proper playing facilities are often unavailable, equipment is scarce and transport remains one of the biggest barriers to participation.
Cynthia Hove, the cricket teacher in charge of the Norton rural team, has witnessed the impact of Mtetwa’s intervention first-hand.
She believes the programme has given the children more than an introduction to cricket.
“I would like to thank coach Mtetwa for his dedication in helping identify the talent in our learners. Because of his guidance, our children now believe in themselves and in the game,” said Hove.
But she believes more support is needed if that talent is to flourish.
“I wish and hope for more support with equipment, coaching clinics and transport so our learners can grow. With proper equipment, a safe playing field, coaching workshops and transport to tournaments, our children can compete and be proud,” she said.
For Hove, cricket is also an opportunity to shape the children’s lives beyond the boundary.
“Cricket can give them discipline, teamwork and hope for the future. We just need the chance,” she said.
Her biggest dream is one that would bring the national game directly to the children.
“Our dream is for the national team to visit us at our rural school. We also dream of the day when the national team will visit our rural area and inspire our children,” said Hove.
That dream speaks to what Mtetwa believes is the biggest challenge facing rural cricket — not a shortage of talent, but a shortage of opportunity.
“There is much talent in rural areas, but we need all associations, not only cricket, to include all those kids from the rural areas in their national setups and even their national teams,” he said.
Through the Rural Cricket programme, Mtetwa wants to create a pathway for youngsters to be identified, coached, developed and eventually given opportunities to compete.
But his ambitions go beyond producing the next Chevrons star.
“So, I’m trying to eliminate early marriages and drug abuse,” he said.
For Mtetwa, success is not measured only by how many children eventually make the national team.
“Cricket is not about playing for a national team,” he said.
The game can give children discipline, confidence, friendships and hope, even if they never reach the highest level.
Perhaps nowhere is that belief more visible than at Kawanzaruwa.
The children did not wait for someone to tell them they belonged in Zimbabwean cricket.
They picked up pens and wrote the names of the players they admired on their backs.
With plain T-shirts, they created their own Zimbabwe jerseys.
For a few moments, on that dusty rural field, they were not children waiting for an opportunity.
They were already imagining themselves as Zimbabwean cricketers.
“I have a motive and I’m set to produce the best players who are going to represent Zimbabwe at national level,” he said.
Mtetwa’s work has attracted the support from within the cricket fraternity, with Innocent Kaia, Kelis Ndhlovu and Brian Bennett coming on board with jersey support.
The gesture has given him encouragement, while also highlighting what can happen when established players take an interest in the next generation.
But Mtetwa knows jerseys alone will not transform rural cricket.
They need someone to see their potential before it is too late.
“Corporate Zimbabwe, sporting administrators, former and current players, and well-wishers all have a role to play,” said Mtetwa.
For now, the handwritten jerseys remain a simple but powerful symbol of what is possible.
