Online Reporter
Zimpapers Reporter
AUSTRALIA captain Mitchell Marsh will lead his country against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club today, but before he became a World Cup winner and one of Australia’s senior stars, the all-rounder once dreamed of playing for the Chevrons.
Marsh, who turns out for his 100th One-Day International today, spent three formative years in Zimbabwe as a child when his father, former Australia coach Geoff Marsh, was in charge of the national team.
A feature by Louis Cameron published on the Cricket Australia website, cricket.com.au, this week details Marsh’s deep connection with Zimbabwe and the people who shaped his childhood during his family’s time in Harare.
And more than two decades later, the memories of his time in the country remain vivid.
“I actually wanted to play for Zimbabwe at one point,” Marsh told reporters ahead of today’s opening ODI.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza was quick to remind his Australian counterpart of his strong connection to the country, joking that Marsh was “practically a local”.
The Australian captain’s Zimbabwe story is more than a cricketing footnote.
As a 10-year-old, Marsh lived with his family in the Harare suburb of Highlands and spent much of his childhood around Harare Sports Club, where he played cricket with the Curran brothers — Tom, Ben and Sam.
All three would later go on to play international cricket, with Tom and Sam representing England and Ben now representing Zimbabwe.
Ben Curran is in Zimbabwe’s squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia.
According to Cameron’s feature, Marsh also developed a close bond with Farai “Happy” Mapondera, who worked at the family’s Harare home.
Marsh recalled refusing to eat in the house, preferring instead to sit down with Mapondera and other household workers and eat sadza.
“I spent my days with him a lot of the time,” Marsh said.
“I refused to eat in the house – I’d go and have dinner with him. He was a big part of my childhood.”
The two reunited in Harare this week, nearly 25 years after the young Marsh had left Zimbabwe.
Mapondera, who still works for Zimbabwe Cricket, had hoped to meet Marsh when Australia arrived in Harare, but missed him at the ground on Saturday.
When they finally met on Monday, the two shared a long embrace before Marsh invited him upstairs to join a video call with members of the Marsh family.
It was an emotional reunion.
“Everyone was a little bit emotional,” Marsh said.
His childhood in Zimbabwe was also intertwined with the Curran family.
Kevin Curran, father of the three Curran brothers, had been Geoff Marsh’s coaching assistant. He was also a former Zimbabwe international who played a part in the country’s historic first World Cup victory over Australia in 1983.
After Geoff Marsh’s stint as Zimbabwe coach ended, Curran took over the national team.
The Currans later lived briefly with the Marsh family.
Marsh’s connection with Zimbabwe continued to influence his cricket long after he returned to Australia.
In 2014, as a young Australia player, he produced one of his breakthrough performances in Harare, smashing 89 against Zimbabwe in an ODI tri-series before following it up with an unbeaten 86.
Those innings helped put him on the road to selection for Australia’s 2015 World Cup-winning squad.
Today, Marsh returns to the same city as Australia’s captain, with a century of ODIs behind him and World Cup medals in both white-ball formats.
But his fondness for Zimbabwe has clearly never faded.
Marsh also retains a close friendship with Riley Pattison, a Zimbabwean boy he met after both families moved to Australia.
Last week, Pattison’s family hosted the Australian team at their farm on the outskirts of Harare.
As the sun set over the Zimbabwean countryside, Marsh once again found himself surrounded by memories of the country that helped shape his childhood.
And today, he will walk out at Harare Sports Club not as the Zimbabwe hopeful he once was, but as Australia’s captain for his 100th ODI.
For one of Australian cricket’s most popular sons, there could hardly be a more fitting place to reach the milestone.
This article is based on a feature by Louis Cameron published on the Cricket Australia website, cricket.com.au.
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