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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket have conceded they have no power to stop the bleeding caused by the talent drain that has hit the domestic game over the last few years.
The organisation’s chairman, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, said they remain concerned with the high turnover of players in the age-group structures.
A number of promising players, most of whom showed promise at the Under-17 and Under-19 levels, have moved elsewhere, for their senior level career, and shifted allegiance to either England or New Zealand.
This, however, is not limited to Zimbabwe alone.
Marnus Labuschagne, who was the leading run-scorer in Test matches last year for Australia, was born in the North West province of South Africa.
His family emigrated to Australia in 2004, when he was 10, after his father secured work in the mining industry.
He rose to fourth place, in the ICC Player Rankings last year — a rise of 106 places — and in January this year, Labuschagne was named as the Emerging Cricketer of the Year by the International Cricket Council.
Ben Stokes, the hero of England’s World Cup success last year, was born in New Zealand.
He moved to live in England, with his parents, when he was just 12.
Mukuhlani said most of the young players, which their system has lost, were dual passport holders who relocated overseas with their families.
“It’s unfortunate that we see this happening. It’s been happening for a very long time,” said Mukuhlani.
“Unfortunately, these are 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds who choose not to represent Zimbabwe.
“But, to be honest, an 18-year-old cannot choose where they want to live. They cannot choose their citizenship. It’s the family!
“Beyond the player, these are decisions made at family level, that a family wants to relocate to New Zealand or Ireland.
“We know quite a number of our players, their families would want to follow their ancestral visas in the UK.
“So, what story do you give? ‘I am not happy at Zimbabwe Cricket’. But, to be quite honest, that’s not the issue.
“This is an issue of the families having moved from Zimbabwe to another country and they go with their children because they think, as a family, they have better opportunities outside.”
Mukuhlani said it was curious this has largely been confined to players of white decent who have families abroad.
“It’s unfortunate that these are things that we can’t control and, at the same time, we cannot say just because you are of English or Irish decent we don’t think you will be with us in the future so we will not pick you for the national Under-19 team,’’ he said.
“That will be segregation.
“So, we are caught between a rock and a hard surface where we are picking kids, who have other passports, when we pick them for the Under-19s they produce the Zimbabwean passport but, after that, they leave.’’
Former Zimbabwe national Under-17 players Nick Welch and Eddie Byrom moved to England in 2015, as teenagers, on a cricket scholarship at Kings College.
Highly-rated batsman Byrom has not made his England ambitions a secret.
Byrom (23) was drafted into the middle order of Somerset’s T20 Blast squad last year and he immediately shone with a blistering 54 not out against Surrey on debut.
He has been raking up runs in County cricket and looks like it’s a matter of time before he gets the call to join the Three Lions.
His father is a freelance sports journalist while he travels on an Irish passport.
“Growing up in Zimbabwe was really interesting, cricket-wise it was great, such a sunny country,’’ he said.
“I really enjoyed starting out my cricket there but it got to a stage where I didn’t really see myself going professional.’’
His former Zimbabwe Under-17 side teammate, Welch, has also been tipped to thrive at Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
The Harare-born right-hander, who has been based in England for the last five years, signed his first professional contract with the Foxes last month.
The 22-year-old also announced he has secured his British citizenship.
Welch made his first-class debut as a 16-year-old for Mashonaland Eagles in 2014.
Accomplished international players such as Sam Curran and Colin de Grandhomme developed their game at age-group level in Zimbabwe before moving abroad.
At 22, Curran is already a regular member of the England team, with 19 Tests under the belt and a couple of ODIs and T20Is.
Grandhomme, who played for Zimbabwe at the 2004 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh, has shaped his career with New Zealand.
Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans went to play first-class system in England and this has deprived an aging Chevrons side some prospects to give the team a fresh look.
Zimbabwe Cricket have provided further platform for young players to develop through the launch of the National Premier League.
The 45-over tournament begins tomorrow with larger pool of players set to showcase their talents.
NPL Fixtures
Tomorrow: MidWest Rhinos v Takashinga (Kwekwe Sports Club), Great Zimbabwe Patriots v Harare Kings (Masvingo Sports Club), Rainbow v Gladiators (Harare Sports Club), Queens v Amakhosi (Queens Sports Club)
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