Sundaymail Editor
Deputy Sports Editor
TODAY Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano finds herself in good company in as far as women in sport are concerned.
The just-ended four-match visit by Thailand’s women cricket team saw the 29-year-old make a major comeback similar to feats by popular athletes such as Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah and tennis stars Serena Williams and Sania Mirza.
These are women who have successfully returned to sport after their maternal duties.
While not in the same league as Williams’ much talked-about bodysuit-wearing return of 2017, or the record-breaking and Olympic gold medal winning return of Herah at the Tokyo Olympics, Mugeri-Tiripano’s comeback to international cricket is a feat being celebrated on the domestic front.
With the unofficial One Day International series tied at one game apiece, she scored a match-winning half-century as the Lady Chevrons took the third game by five wickets.
“For me, this was a perfect comeback,” she said.
“It’s anybody’s dream and goal to score runs and do it at crucial moments of a game.
“I couldn’t have asked for anything better than that.”
The baby-innings, as they are now being referred to, helped settle the all-rounder’s nerves after having spent over a year on the sidelines.
In that time, Mugeri and her husband and former Chevrons player Donald Tiripano welcomed the latest addition to their growing family, Reuel Tiripano.
The couple, who both are renowned all-rounders for the country’s Chevrons and Lady Chevrons outfits, have been married for 10 years.
They now have three kids — Hearly (nine), Anesu (four) and Reuel.
A self-professed dreamer who spends more time in her thoughts than the real world, she now has her feet firmly on the ground and looking forward to a better tomorrow.
The reason behind her new-found sense of optimism is the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) recent decision to grant Zimbabwe rights to host the Women’s ODI World Cup Qualifier later this year.
The qualifiers were initially scheduled for Sri Lanka in July 2020 but the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the tournament, as well as the main event in New Zealand.
The 10-team tournament will include Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ireland, who will be joined by five regional teams who won their respective competitions in 2019.
The 10 sides will battle for three World Cup slots.
Mugeri-Tiripano views this tournament as an opportunity to realise her childhood dream.
“Hosting the tournament is actually good news.
“It presents an opportunity for us to play on home soil and also on conditions we are used to.
“This will give us a fair chance to perform well and qualify.
“All we need is a top-three finish.
“I also believe the tournament will go a long way in encouraging young ladies and girls out there to take cricket as a sport, as teams like West Indies and Pakistan will certainly bring more eyes on the tournament,” she said.
The tournament has provided her with the opportunity to play at the World Cup.
“In my career so far, there have been times when I thought about giving up or retiring but there has always been one thing that drives me: I want to play in the World Cup before I call it quits.”
She is looking past the Thailand series and wants to put in the work to make sure she is ready for the qualifiers.
By her own admission, she is not yet where she wants to be.
“I am not yet where I want to be in terms of fitness. “It takes nine months to gain weight when pregnant and you can’t just wake up and expect to lose it all… it takes time.
“I am proud of the progress I have made so far, but there is still more to do.”
Online Reporter