‘I eat, sleep and dream cricket’

Ngoni Dapira
SHE is currently the heart and soul of Zimbabwe’s women’s cricket national team and has won several accolades at various regional tournaments as the best batswoman of the tournament, but very few people know about this media shy personality.

Moreover, she hails from the high-density suburb of Dangamvura in the eastern border City of Mutare, where at the age of 14 in 2006, she horned her skills through the women’s cricket grassroots development programme.

This shining star in the women’s cricket domain is none other than Mutare cricket franchise, Mountaineers’ women’s cricket player, Chipo Mugeri.

Mugeri in December last year, wrote her own piece of history when she captained the 14-member team that won the 2014 Pepsi International Cricket Council Africa Women’s Trophy in Benoni, South Africa.

By winning the regional qualifiers, Zimbabwe secured a place for one of the top four places at the global qualifiers scheduled for Thailand in November.

The Thailand qualifiers will be the entry point for the ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup to be hosted by India in March 2016.

At the regional qualifiers following her consistent impressive performance, Mugeri was named the best batswoman of the tournament.

Following the team’s recent successful friendly Twenty20 tour against South Africa’s Easterns women’s team, Post Sport, caught up with the 23-year-old top-order batter on Tuesday for a one-on-one chat.

The touring Zimbabwe women’s cricket team won all their five Twenty20 matches against the Easterns women’s team in Benoni played from May 9-11.

This is what the 23-year-old all-rounder and left–hand batter had to share about her road to recognition on the cricket pitch:

Qn: When did you start playing cricket and when did you first play for the national team?

Ans: I went to school at Dangamvura High School and in 2006 when I was in Form Two at the age of 14, I joined the cricket development programme for girls. The following year in 2007 I was drafted into the national side and we went to South Africa for the regional qualifiers. That was also my first foreign trip and I was so excited.

Qn: How has it been playing for the national team and captaining the side?

Ans: The feeling of representing your country is great especially when you are the captain and have to lead and motivate your team. I have travelled a lot in the region and overseas through cricket. I have travelled as far as Ireland. Travelling to new places is always a pleasant experience.

I have won several trophies in various regional tournaments over the years. Last year alone in September I won a trophy for being the highest run scorer with 123 runs at the four-nation tournament held in Botswana pitting hosts, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mozambique.

But my most proud moment was being the captain of the winning team at the 2014 ICC Pepsi regional qualifiers in December and also being chosen as the batswoman of the tournament. That was a momentous achievement for me.

Qn: Has women’s cricket in Zimbabwe professionalised and can you earn a living from it currently?

Ans: Women’s cricket in Zimbabwe is slowly getting there. So far we cannot say it has been professionalized, but a lot of strides have been made over the years. Over the eight years now that I have played for the national team, I have to give credit to the notable strides made to improve the sport and give women’s cricket the limelight. I love the sport and I eat, sleep and dream cricket.

Qn: What is your dream?

Ans: Last year after winning the regional qualifiers and advancing to the World Cup qualifiers, our dream was crushed in the group stages of the qualifiers in Bangladesh after being pitted in a tough group against South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and USA.

So my dream remains of taking my team through to the World Cup and bringing that trophy to Zimbabwe.

Qn: On a personal note, are you married? If you are how do you juggle your sporting career and parenthood?

Ans: Yes, I am happily married and have a three-year-old child. Maybe I am fortunate to be married to a cricket player, Donald Tiripano, who also plays for Mountaineers and we both love the sport so much. I just try to strike a balance and prioritise both cricket and family time.

Qn: Do you have any parting shots?

Ans: Yes, I would like to urge other ladies in Manicaland to come on board and join Mountaineers. I would like to see more Manicaland players in the national squad. So far it is just I and Pelagia Mujaji. I also hope to see the corporate world investing more towards Zimbabwe women’s cricket, which I feel has great potential to bring medals at the World Cup level if more resources are availed.

Qn: Thank you for your time and wish you the best at the qualifiers in Thailand in November.

Ans: Thank you.

On another note, Mugeri and her husband, the 27-year-old Mountaineers right-arm fast bowler, Tiripano, join the growing list of Zimbabwe’s sports power couples, where in the football circles there is Rusell Madamombe and Onai Chingawo and former Warriors stalwart, Esrom Nyandoro and Ruth Banda, while in the swimming world there is Kirsty Coventry and Tyrone Seward, not leaving out the basketball couple of Simbarashe and Sukoluhle Mungomezi.