Mankunzini rolls out cricket development programme

Sports Reporter
Development cricket coach Dumisani Mankunzini has rolled out an initiative meant to spread the game to the far corners of the country.
The first seed was planted recently when Mankunzini and hit team held their first workshop in Nkayi, Matabeleland North province, a programme that was a resounding success, with close to 200 aspiring cricket coaches, administrators and players taking part in the event.
In an interview with Zimpapers Sports, the determined Mankunzini said their vision was to do away with stereotypes about cricket while spreading the game to places that – in some cases may have little or no knowledge about it. Mankunzini said they were starting from grassroots and, therefore, will be educating school headmasters, deputies, teachers and children among others to take up various positions in helping the game grow.
He believes that the growth and development of the game do not only lie with coaches and players but also with backroom stuff that will ensure the smooth running of activities. He added that they were focusing on Matabeleland as a start, but will spread their wings to the rest of the country.
“What I saw is that in Zimbabwe, especially Matabeleland, we have been struggling to raise world-class cricketers and I believe we are at fault as coaches. We are not doing well enough to scout talent and produce world-class cricketers. Another thing that I have seen in the past is that, from experience, ever since I started working with kids, there is talent, we do scout for talent and produce players but we leave them along the way because parents don’t appreciate cricket, they don’t understand what cricket is.
“They end up taking these kids to rural areas and that is where the talent dies. So in order to cover that, we have decided to go to the most remote areas in the country where there is zero cricket and introduce cricket starting with the headmasters, the deputies, teachers and sports directors so that they have an appreciation of the sport so that the sport will not die,” he said.

In further elaborating his vision, Mankunzini added that they will be assisting the various schools with equipment. He hopes that they will be able to bear fruit in a couple of years.
Mankunzini said he began the project with Thamsanqa Nunu who has an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Level One coaching badge which he attained when he visited England.
“So, for now, it’s just me and him but we have received numerous requests to work with us. We will rope in many coaches and more experienced coaches as we go on with this project. We have a marketing team, a finance team and a board that is dealing with things that have nothing to do with cricket but on the technical side for now it’s me and Nunu
“Its nationwide programme but for now the focus is on Matabeleland, step by step, from Matabeleland we will go on to the Midlands. So far we have had a successful workshop in Nkayi. Our next workshops will be Tsholotsho, Kezi, Fumugwe, Plumtree and Bubi also lined up, we are going on the logistics,” he said.
In Nkayi, Mankunzini said they had over 190 participants and 56 schools attending.
“The crowd was beautiful and most of them passed their exams. There is an ICC cricket course that we help them with called the Criiio and then teachers do the basic one and when you pass the basic one we will then take them to level one, they are all online courses. So we coach them practicals and theory to pass those courses.”
The coaching clinic covered various aspects of cricket coaching, techniques, tactics, and player development. Participants engaged in practical sessions, demonstrating their newfound skills and enthusiasm for the sport.