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Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER England Test player Gary Ballance is set to play for Southern Rocks in the Logan Cup as he begins his integration into the Zimbabwe national cricket team after switching allegiance from England last week.
The top order batsman is expected in the country later this month to pursue a new career path after he signed a two-year-contract with Zimbabwe Cricket, which will make him available for domestic and national team selection for the country of his birth.
Ballance played for Zimbabwe at Under-19 level but went on to feature for adopted country England between 2014 and 2017 at senior level. But he is now set to be available for selection when Zimbabwe host Ireland for a white ball series next month following the latest move.
Chevrons coach Dave Houghton yesterday said they are looking forward to the reunion with the 33-year-old ex-Peterhouse Boys School graduate, who had a lengthy career with Yorkshire in England.
“I think he is going to be of great value to us. He is very experienced and a very good player. He comes with a proven Test record and has had a fantastic First Class record with Yorkshire as well,” said Houghton.
Ballance reached mutual agreement with Yorkshire last week to be released from his contract so that he makes a “fresh start” following a tumultuous period during which his career suffered a huge blow over a racism row.
“From the cricket side of things, I think it will benefit us greatly. But I think we also have to look at it from the other side; it’s also going to be a big benefit to Gary himself.
“He has had a very difficult last 18 months to two years. It had affected his mental health very badly and I know in speaking with him recently that he is absolutely thrilled and excited to be coming back home and to be playing his cricket with us. So from both points of view I think this is a really good situation,” said Houghton.
Ballance is expected to bolster Zimbabwe’s batting, which has always experienced challenges at the top. Houghton, however, is keen to see him playing in one of the domestic First Class games before Zimbabwe host Ireland in three ODIs and as many T20Is in Harare next month.
“I am sure he will be (ready for selection). He is looking at landing in Zimbabwe between Christmas and New Year. His contract with us starts on January 1.
“I am hoping that I can get him to play one four-day game prior to the start of the Irish tour. So he will play the first round (of the Logan Cup) after the New Year.
“I think he is probably going to play for Rocks because they look like they need the help the most, particularly in the batting department in particular.
“So he will be in a team where he is going to be required to perform because they need that help as well. So all of this is good in terms of preparing him to play for us. Throughout the last six months or so he has done lots of practicing.
“He has had plenty of batting sessions and what he doesn’t have is game time. I am hoping that with a little bit of game time prior to the Irish tour, we will get him on the field as soon as we can, in our colours.” Houghton said the return of Ballance to play for the Chevrons was testament the doors remain open for all the players with Zimbabwean heritage to come back home and represent the country of their birth.
“My thoughts are similar to those of the General Manager (Givemore Makoni) and the chairman (Tavengwa Mukuhlani) in our previous discussions; anyone is welcome to come and play for Zimbabwe.
“If they are born and bred in this country, they are welcome to come up and play, and to play franchise cricket and play well enough hopefully to get selection to the national side and thereafter if you play well enough maybe you can earn a central contract,” said Houghton.
Apart from Ballance, there are more overseas-based players with Zimbabwean background who can be eligible to play for the Chevrons.
One of them is Eddie Byrom, who was born in Harare 25 years ago but currently holds an Irish passport. He played for Zimbabwe’s age-group teams but now qualifies to play international cricket for both Zimbabwe and Ireland.
Currently, he is back home playing for Mid-West Rhinos in the Logan Cup. Another prospect is Nick Welch (24), who is currently in the books of Harare-based Eagles.
The former Zimbabwe national Under-17 top order batsman was once tipped to be the next big thing at Leicestershire County Cricket Club in England. He is yet to decide his international future. Zimbabwe-born pace bowler Dustin Melton (27) has also been linked with an international cricket career with the country of his birth after English county cricket side Derbyshire confirmed that he would be leaving at the end of the 2022 season.
Another promising cricketer Dane Schadendorf (20) played for Zimbabwe at the ICC Under-19 World Cup two years ago before moving to England where he signed for Nottinghamshire in the 2021 County Championship.
Then there is 21-year-old Tawanda Muyeye who plays for Kent County Cricket Club in England and Australia-based all-rounder Hilton William Raymond Cartwright who plays for Western Australia and the Melbourne Stars. Cartwright was born in Harare 30 years ago and spent his early life in Marondera, but emigrated to Australia at the age of 11 years with his family. He made his Test debut for the Australian national team in January 2017.
“The thing for me is that the guys we have playing here are good enough. We have some very talented players playing domestic cricket. I can’t fit them all in the team as it stands.
“There might also be some playing outside the country who now have an interest in coming back because it looks like the national team is starting to play well again; I want the guys with the heart and soul in it.
“Anybody who has got the heart and soul in it is welcome to come back. They have to go through the process of getting selected in the provincial franchise team, getting enough weight of runs and wickets to get picked in the national team.
“Gary Ballance is a different entity because he was in the middle of a contract with Yorkshire. We have managed to secure his signing and it’s a different ball game to any of the others I know of,” said Houghton.
Ballance featured for England between 2014 and 2017, playing 23 Tests, scoring four centuries at an average of 37.45, as well as 16 ODIs.
His last Test for England came in July 2017, making him eligible to play for Zimbabwe straight away. Ballance is a product of the Zimbabwe system. Before moving abroad, he had starred for Zimbabwe at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2006 while still a schoolboy at Peterhouse.
Online Reporter