Sundaymail Editor
Sports Reporter
AFTER launching Cricket Kumusha-Cricket Ekhaya six years ago, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) hopes to build on the Chevrons’ current momentum and make the sport the country’s flagship.
The programme is a development initiative spearheaded by ZC, which seeks to introduce cricket, identify, nurture and grow talent in rural areas.
“Cricket was once a minority sport for quite some time until ZC introduced it in the high-density areas at the turn of the millennium,” said ZC managing director Givemore Makoni.
“This resulted in the game growing in the country, and it was a successful programme that saw the game becoming a mass sport.
“It saw cricket becoming a number two sport in the country, and our main priority now is to become number one. We cannot do that without the rural areas, and football is the only game that is currently popular in the rural areas.
“We want to compete for that space through our Cricket Kumusha-Cricket Ekhaya programme,” he added.
ZC expects huge growth in numbers and popularity in the next five years.
Establishment of training facilities in different parts of the country is underway after completion of the first phase that involved training targeted teachers.
“We have since established training facilities in rural areas, namely, Hwange, Mberengwa, Matabeleland North and South, and we also want to create a wide base for our national teams.
“We have since intensified our efforts by training teachers to be coaches in most rural schools,” said Makoni.
The response from schools has reportedly been overwhelming.
“It just goes to show that rural folk have taken up the sport . . . We have urban schools also coming in,” he said.
Recent remarkable performances by the national team have also raised interest in the sport. Mashonaland Central Cricket Association chairperson Danny Tumuzo said the sport was witnessing remarkable growth.
“Since the start of the Cricket Kumusha-Cricket Ekhaya programme, all the eight districts have shown interest in the sport.
“Interestingly, Mt Darwin now has teams, both for juniors and seniors.
“Chiweshe, which is under Mazowe, had a few teams some years back, and we are hoping to resuscitate them through the programme,” said Tumuzo.
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