Andrew
Brighton Zhawi
The Oval
August is the eight month of the Gregorian calendar. The word comes from the Latin word augustus, which means “consecrated” or “venerable”.
Well, the word might mean different things to different people, but for Zimbabwean cricketer Craig Ervine, August is ‘magical’.
August is notable for a number of firsts for the left-handed batsman. It was the month he was born, the month he scored his first Test hundred and the month he scored his first ODI hundred.
Not only that. He got engaged to Belinda – now his wife – in August and their first child, Rory, was born in the same month.
In this week’s instalment of The Oval, Ervine speaks to Brighton Zhawi on this and more ahead of his 35th birthday on Wednesday (August 19).
The top-order batsman opened up on a horror injury that almost had his hand amputated when he was young, being a farm boy and playing backyard cricket with his brothers.
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Q: August seems to be your special month . . .
A: Yes, I concur, August has definitely been a special month for me for obvious reasons.
Q: What does August 19 1985 mean to you?
A: Can’t remember much from that day. A day to celebrate being brought into this world. They just come round a little too fast these days.
Q: And your Test debut on August 4 2011 against Bangladesh at Harare Sports Club . . .
A: Very special moment in my career. You never really know if you are ever going to get the opportunity and it suddenly happens. I remember batting with Brendon Taylor in my first ever Test innings. It was so nerve-racking. I managed to squeeze the ball through backward point and lucky enough BT wasn’t sitting on his handle, so getting off the mark was huge pressure off the shoulders.
Q: Also, your first Test hundred (146) against New Zealand was at Queens Sports Club on August 6 2016.
A: lot of these milestones are hard to remember in the moment because you are so zoned in on what you are doing; nothing else seems to faze you. I was batting with PJ Moor and the new ball had been taken. I was thinking to myself: ‘I am never making it to 100 before the end of the day.’ All of a sudden we got a few boundaries away and I found myself within reach. The belief you get when you get to such a milestone is incredible. You believe you now belong and you can do it. Thanks to Ross Taylor though for dropping me on one. Sharing a beer after was the highlight.
Q: Further, your first ODI hundred, an unbeaten 130 against New Zealand at Harare Sports Club in 2015, was also in August.
A: Again, I was so in the zone everything just fitted into place perfectly. I haven’t played another innings like that and maybe never will, although I still believe I can. What did help was the fact that it was high score and there were moments where you just decide I have to take him on, otherwise we never gonna get there. Fortunately, that day all the risks I took paid off. I was still in disbelief when I woke up in the morning. Very proud moment.
Q: Is there another Ervine August magic story I might have missed?
A: My wife and I got engaged in August, which was the start of our journey together. We now have an amazing little boy, who was also born in August, so it is safe to say August has been kind to me over the years. Maybe we should plan for number two to be born in August as well.
Q: Though it was May 2010, how did you feel scoring an unbeaten 67 on ODI debut leading to a rare victory for Zimbabwe over India?
A: It was an unbelievable feeling on debut to be unbeaten on 67 against India. I couldn’t have dreamt of a better ODI debut. A lot of work was done upfront and I batted with Charles Coventry and Elton (Chigumbura) at the end. Both of them allowed me to just be me and rotate whilst they blasted it everywhere, so it made my role pretty simple thankfully.
Q: Did your family influence you in any way to pursue cricket?
A: My dad and grandad always guided me towards cricket. It was never forced upon any of us. The growing passion from watching games at Harare Sports Club when the likes of Dave Houghton, Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Henry Olonga and many others always gave us the motivation and drive to pursue cricket. The patience my father showed coaching all three of us was unbelievable, and the advice throughout all the schooling years to nurture us into the cricketers we eventually became – all the credit does go to him. My older brother (Sean) making it through to play for Zimbabwe really gave me the passion and desire to follow in those footsteps.
Q: Did growing up at farm play a part in you playing cricket?
A: It definitely helped having brothers whom all loved sport, so if we weren’t playing cricket, we were playing tennis, rugby, soccer – anything that involved a ball. I can remember mowing what we thought was a cricket pitch, but probably looked nothing like it on the lawn; painting white lines and cutting branches off the trees as stumps. We would search in our cupboards for the colours of our favourite teams and come out and play in coloured clothing. That was the excitement around the game back then, so to eventually put on the reds and walk out for the first time just takes you back to when it was just a dream as a little kid.
Q: Who would win the backyard cricket matches amongst the Ervine brothers back in the day?
A: (Laughs) Many arguments and disagreements over decisions – ‘I am not out’ and ‘I am not playing’ – happened over the years. I wasn’t the most talented, so I was at the bottom of that list. I think older boetie (Afrikaans word for brother) would clean up with his fierce fast bowling at his younger brothers.
Q: I understand you got involved in a serious injury when you were young. Are you comfortable talking about what happened?
A: I don’t mind talking about it because it has become a part of who I am. My mum could probably tell this story better but I’ll give you my version. It was first exit weekend of Form One at Lomagundi College. We were home on the farm. I went into the bedroom around 6pm to get what we called a pea shooter off the pelmet. As I stood on the window sill to reach up, my foot slipped off and on my way down, I stuck my hand out to stop me from falling and my right arm went straight through the window, with my wrist landing on the jagged bits of glass. My wrist got sliced open and as I screamed, my mum came running through with a towel. She put pressure on it and we jumped into the car and headed for Harare, which was about three hours away at the time. Long story short, we arrived at the trauma centre and the doctor on call was Doctor Coric. He had a look and at first glance he said he would have to amputate. He then decided he was going operate it the next day after some rest and I went into theatre the following day for roughly three to five hours. It turned out I had severed all my tendons and arteries. The operation went as well as it possibly could and I was able to keep my hand. I had physio exercises to do, which was every 30 minutes for months and eventually got the movement back in my hand. Through that process, I had to learn to do everything left-handed, hence why I am now ambidextrous (able to use the left and right hand well) and why my nickname other than Slug is Claw.
Q: As one of the senior players in the Zimbabwe national team, how do you feel when you look at your international journey so far?
A: When I look back after where I came from, I can only be thankful for the journey I have had. I had never dreamed of even making it to the national stage after my accident, so every day I am playing is a dream come true. I know of many players that have not been as talented as me who did not make it. I can’t thank enough everyone involved throughout my journey that helped mould me into the person I am today, especially my parents.
Q: And I believe the past months of the lockdown have been a time of reflection for many people. Has staying at home been positive in any way for you?
A: I would have to say in terms of being on the cricket field it has been extremely tough not having the chance to play. Looking at the positives though, the time I have had to spend with wife and son has been absolutely golden considering the time we do spend away from families if we are playing. It has also been an opportunity to get the body fit and strong without having the added stress on the body of training games and games.
Q: The last time you were in action you captained Zimbabwe in Tests for the first time. Scoring that hundred definitely made it special for you, is it that captaincy naturally pushes a player to perform?
A: I think having that responsibility as a captain will always push a player no matter who you are or how good you are. With the rest of the team looking up to you, you almost feel obligated to lead from the front and I was fortunate enough to do that with the bat but not the result.
Q: How do you feel seeing Raza, your close buddy, making a first appearance in the Caribbean Premier League?
A: I am so chuffed for Raza; he deserves it. He works extremely hard on his game and not only in one department, but all three, so I hope when the tournament finally gets underway, he gets his opportunity to showcase his talent. We all know he loves the flare and the limelight and I think T20s are his thing. I still can’t understand how such a little guy can hit the ball so far.
Q: What do you think has limited more Zimbabwe players from playing in some of these T20 competitions?
A: I think the biggest thing for me is having our own T20 competition where we can showcase our home-grown talent to others around the world and have overseas players involved in our competitions. That is the only way you get the exposure to show the world what you got. Yes, there is T20 internationals but we have played so few of them.
Q: For someone who started international cricket as a T20 cricket basher and became an established Test player – one of the 16 Zimbabweans to score 1000 Test runs – how did this transition happen?
A: I look back and wonder to myself how did I ever start as a T20 basher (laughs). I guess it was all the coaching along the way and guidance on how to bat and how to make the most of every opportunity in the middle that maybe allowed me to change my game towards putting more value on my wicket rather than swinging for the hills. Cricket has definitely changed a lot and the transition I think from a T20 player is easier than trying to transition a Test player to a T20 player.
Q: Now you have become one of the Zimbabwe players averaging over 30 in ODIs (32.54) and 35.52 in Tests. What do you attribute that to? I obviously know you would want the average in the 40s.
A: I put it down to the work ethic I have and the amount of self-discipline in putting in the hours needed to have the confidence knowing I have prepared the best I can and leave nothing to chance. My role in the batting line-up – to bat long – has also allowed me to be more consistent as opposed to someone that has a hitting role like Raza. Yes, I would like to average in the 40’s and there is still time to do that.
Q: Recently some cricketers, local and international, have been involved in helping the less privileged in these challenging times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. I know as a family you have always been involved in charity at Eden Children Village. Can you tell us how it all started?
A: After my parents lost the farm, we were staying in the same area (Doma). An American missionary couple approached my parents and offered them work at Eden Children’s Village in the early 2000’s. My dad, being a farmer, was tasked with running the farming section and my mum, being a nurse, ran dairy, chickens and the clinic. Since that day they have not looked back. We did get a few of Zimbabwe cricketers out there to do some coaching, which I am hoping will happen again soon. My dad coaches a few of them and they are definitely making good progress. They have come to Harare Sports Club to watch a few internationals and the excitement on their faces to watch a game of cricket is priceless. Hopefully one day will see one of them out there in the middle, living the dream for Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter