Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE sight of his teammates creating history from the boundary ropes was a source of anguish for Richard Ngarava, Zimbabwe’s premier left-arm fast bowler. He has spoken candidly about the emotional toll of suffering an injury that forced him to watch from the sidelines during the Chevrons’ landmark four-day Test match against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, in May.
Ngarava, a vital part of Zimbabwe’s pace attack alongside the towering Blessing Muzarabani, managed to bowl just nine overs on the opening day before a sudden back injury ruled him out of the remainder of the historic fixture. For the 27-year-old, whose side was touring England for the first time in over two decades, the experience was deeply disheartening.
Despite his efforts to mask his emotions from the squad, Ngarava admitted to feeling a profound sense of disappointment, fearing he had let the team down. To finish such a momentous match as a spectator rather than a participant was intensely frustrating.
“It’s not a nice feeling to get injured and still get to hang around the ground and see the boys playing. It was really disappointing considering it was historic. We hadn’t played England for so long and I also wanted to perform. I felt bad for the team and I asked myself, ‘Is this the right time to get injured?’ even though I knew I couldn’t control it. I tried to hide those emotions and didn’t show them to anyone,” Ngarava told ESPNCricinfo.
The injury, diagnosed as a bulging vertebral disc, has since kept Ngarava out of all four of Zimbabwe’s subsequent Test matches, including two-match series against South Africa and New Zealand, both held at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. He described playing red-ball cricket for his country as “something that I really want to do,” highlighting just how difficult his enforced absence has been.
Away from the longest format, however, Ngarava has recently enjoyed immense success in T20 cricket, helping Zimbabwe secure qualification for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. The Chevrons were flawless at the ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier held in Harare last week, and Ngarava played a pivotal role, finishing as joint leading wicket-taker with 10 scalps — matching the tally of teammate Bradley Evans and Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton.
During the tournament, Ngarava also etched his name into the history books by becoming the first Zimbabwean bowler to take 100 wickets in T20 Internationals. He reached the milestone in 81 innings and now boasts 103 T20I career wickets. Reflecting on the achievement, he credited his formative club, Takashinga, for its role in shaping his cricketing journey.
“Sincere gratitude to God for qualifying us for the 2026 T20I World Cup and reaching 100 wickets for my nation in T20s is an honour. Special thanks to Takashinga Cricket Club which will forever be special, as it’s where my journey started. Proud of my Highfields heritage, the talent that surrounds me and the community’s legacy of producing legendary achievers,” he said.
The immediate focus for Ngarava and the Chevrons now shifts to a challenging multi-format series against Afghanistan, set to begin at Harare Sports Club in less than two weeks. The tour will open with a Test match running from October 20 to 24, marking Zimbabwe’s 10th Test of a busy 2025 calendar. The teams will then transition to the shorter format for three T20 Internationals scheduled for October 29, October 31, and November 2.
With the red-ball fixture fast approaching, the Chevrons will be hoping their star left-armer is fully fit and ready to translate his record-breaking T20 form into a sustained contribution for the Test team.
