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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
MATABELELAND Tuskers Cricket Franchise will next year offer coaching clinics to schools, becoming the second institution to do so after the blossoming Heath Streak Academy. The first ball at the Heath Streak Academy was bowled on Monday, with coaches Gavin Ewing, John Nyumbu and Goodwill Mamhiyo busy for the entire day.
Unlike the Streak Academy, the Tuskers programme will be for free.
Aspiring cricketers pay $15 per hour to get specialised coaching at the Heath Streak Academy.
“Plans are at an advanced stage for us to start our own initiative where we are going to have our players offering free coaching to different age groups everyday at Queens Sports Club when schools open. This programme is more of a continuation of our developmental drive that saw us distributing cricket equipment worth thousands of dollars to schools in Bulawayo and Matabeleland North,” said Stanley Staddon, the Tuskers chief executive officer.
To their advantage, Matabeleland Tuskers have existing facilities and can also use BAC for some of their programmes.
Streak is setting up a new project that has seen him install nets, come up with a new field as well as working on having a gym at McDonald Club.
Contracted Matabeleland Tuskers players being responsible for coaching up-and-coming cricketers might lead to a clash with some individuals who are doing part-time work at the Heath Streak Academy.
The Heath Streak Academy’s coaching staff includes former Matabeleland Tuskers captain Gavin Ewing, spin bowler Nyumbu, all-rounder Keith Dabengwa, ex-national team pace bowler Tawanda Mupariwa and Mamhiyo who are all Level Two Cricket Coaching Certificate holders.
Save for Ewing who has retired from playing the sport after guiding Matabeleland Tuskers to their third consecutive Logan Cup last season, the quartet of Nyumbu, Dabengwa, Mupariwa and Mamhiyo might find themselves in an awkward position.
Already, Matabeleland Tuskers have lost their chief operations officer Samu Nkiwane who opted to join the Streak bandwagon.
According to sources, Nkiwane opted out due to some budget cuts at the franchise.
“Samu is no longer here at Matabeleland Tuskers. She has taken a fulltime job at the Heath Streak Academy and it seems lack of a guaranteed monthly salary made her leave Matabeleland Tuskers,” said the source.
Nkiwane confirmed to Chronicle Sport that she has left Matabeleland Tuskers.
“I’m now working here at the Heath Streak Academy. I had to choose between Matabeleland Tuskers and the academy after seeing that shuttling between the two places was going to be difficult especially when things get busy.
“Matabeleland Tuskers wanted me to continue but I couldn’t because there was too much pressure and I didn’t want to overload myself with lots of work from both sides because that is not healthy,” said Nkiwane.
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