Chronicle Editor
AFTER becoming the first Zimbabwean umpire to stand in the final of a major global cricket tournament, Langton Rusere, has been shortlisted for the technical official of the year accolade at the Annual National Sports Awards (ANSA) in Harare tonight.
“I am proud to receive such recognition and I am extremely grateful and humbled to be one of the nominees. For me, it means that umpiring is getting validation,” Rusere said.
He was one of the on-field umpires for the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 final between Australia and England that was played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua in November 2019.
The 33-year-old umpire had also stood in the semi-final between Australia and the West Indies at the same venue.
Apart from handling three tournament warm-up games, the final became Rusere’s eighth ICC Women’s World T20 2018 assignment; five of which he was an on-field umpire, two as a fourth umpire and one as a television umpire.
That was also the fifth global tournament at which the top Zimbabwean umpire officiated, having also taken part in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 held in Zimbabwe and the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2018 in New Zealand.
Rusere has not looked back since July 19, 2015 when he stood in his first Twenty20 international match pitting Zimbabwe and India at Harare Sports Club.
Three months later, he made his one-day international debut on October 24, 2015 in a match between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
After making his mark at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2016 in Bangladesh, he did duty at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 staged in England.
Rusere was also a mentor umpire for the ICC World Cricket League Division Two, the qualifier event for Associate teams to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018, held in Namibia in February 2018.
He was also one of the umpires at the Caribbean Premier League, the second time he was involved in the tournament.
“The year 2018 was amazing for me. Taking part in the Under-19 CWC was a great achievement. Then came the WCL and the CWCQ followed by the CPL,” said Rusere.
“The Women’s WT20 topped it all. Getting to be on-field for the final was beyond what I had hoped for before the tournament.”
Rusere is up against Annie Joyce Muchenu (basketball) and Rick Fulton (triathlon) for the technical official of the year accolade. — ZimCricket
Online Reporter