Junior cricketers off to Botswana

Sports Reporter
BAINES Junior School based Dumisani Mankunzini Cricket Initiative (DMCI) has been invited for an invitational Under-13 tournament which will start tomorrow and end on Sunday in Gaborone, Botswana.
This is the first time that the DMCI, which was established in 2011 and whose thrust is grassroots development, will be going for a regional tour having failed to travel to South Africa last year.

Former Zimbabwe Under-19 and Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Franchise cricketer Dumisani Mankunzini whose career in the sport was brought to an abrupt end due to a back injury is the brains behind the DMCI.

Mankunzini said a group of 13 players leaves today by road and will play a longer version of the game on Friday before rounding up their tour with three Twenty20 matches on Saturday and Sunday against Trymore Taruvinga’s Cubs Academy.

Taruvinga is a former Churchill High School cricketer who was part of Zimbabwe cricket’s national Under-19 squad in 2007.

Mankunzini said the competition will give his youngsters international exposure.

“I believe that this is going to be an eye opener for the boys as they will be exposed to better facilities and good competition. It is important that as they develop in cricket, they get exposed to competitive games so that when it’s time to get into national teams they are not intimidated.

“We chose the boys after the Baines Junior Dumisani Mankunzini Winter Cricket Festival which Mtshingwe won last month. We had shortlisted 30 players then after training sessions we trimmed it to 13 this morning,” Mankunzini said.

He said they have roped in Matabeleland Tuskers’ assistant coach Pollock Mubobo as their head of development with seasoned seamer Christopher Mpofu being one of the coaches.

Squad: Tinotenda Shawatu, Takudzwa Takarusenga, Ngqabutho Zikhali, Tendai Takavengwa, Charles Takavengwa (Milton), Brendon Nyandoro, Thamsanqa Sithole, Butjilo Ncube (Baines), Olibile Simbarashe Moyo, Simba Sibanda, Thabo Dube, Thabo Ncube (Masiyephambili), Muzingaye Moyo (CBC)

Officials: Purity Takavengwa (head of delegation), Pollock Mubobo (head coach), Arthur Mpuli (manager), Dumisani Mankunzini (technical director)