adminFunny Mushava Sports Correspondent
HIS first delivery was a beamer aimed at the batsman’s head. The second was a wide, way outside the off stump and the third was another wide but this time down the leg stump.This prompted umpire and Coach Spencer Parker to intervene and give some advice.
“Son, bowling is not about speed but control and only when you have got the rhythm can you try and bowl fast,” said Spencer Parker to a young Lazarus Zizhou.
This was in October 1978 at the Glamis Arena next to the Harare Show Grounds.
As such, Lazarus Zizhou’s long journey into cricket began.
The young lad was one of several black school kids and school leavers from several high density schools who were keen to learn the so called “gentleman’s game” which up until then, in Rhodesia, was more or less the preserve of white schools.
Spencer Parker and his friend Charles Brockway were messengers of the then Rhodesian Cricket authorities to introduce cricket to high density schools with the hope of unearthing fast bowlers in the mould of West Indian greats such as Andy Roberts and Michael Holding.
Closer to home, the Rhodesian cricket team, was being battered by fast bowlers from South Africa’s provinces in the Currie Cup competition.
Chief among them was big Garth le Roux of Western Province; Rupert “Spook” Hanley and Clive Rice of Transvaal and Mike Procter and the burly Vincent van der Bijl of Natal.
These men “terrorised” Rhodesian cricket to the extent that locals at one time imported Procter and later Englishman Robin Jackman to play for them with the hope of matching the fire-power from Down South.
So it was the hope of Rhodesian cricket to find one such jewel in the high densities while also introducing the sport to the majority.
The Rhodesian team was then spearheaded by Bernie Horton and Paddy Clift.
Others to share the ball were Duncan Fletcher and Vince Hogg.
All these were medium pacers and did not induce fear in any batsmen compared to Garth le Roux, Mike Procter and Rupert Hanley among others.
It was only at the end of 1978 that a genuine speedster by the name of James Carse was unearthed.
Though wayward, he had pace and after independence, he moved to South Africa where he played for the then Transvaal and later was picked for the Proteas.
The team was stronger in the spinning department where the likes of leg spinner Jackie du Preez and off break John Traicos earned their Proteas caps.
The batting was competitive with the likes of opener Jack Heron, Brian “Davo” Davison, Fletcher, Clift as a genuine all rounder and Brian Barbour.
Towards the end of the seventies they were to be joined by a youthful Rob Bentley and Dave Houghton.
That was how I first met Lazarus and others.
Blacks, who had been fortunate enough to play school cricket, were asked to help introduce cricket to those who had not had the luxury of playing cricket at school.
Among those who responded were Alan Chiura, my brother, the late Jim Mushava and myself as current and former St George’s College students respectively.
From St Ignatius College, there was Augustine Matambo, who was now living in Glen Norah.
Later we were joined by Asian cricketers such as the Kadir brothers who had played cricket at school and were keen to help popularise the game.
Such was the interest in learning the game that in no time, we could field two teams.
Lunch was usually a soft drink and a candy cake provided by Parker and Brockway.
In the evening, after practice, each player was given 20 cents to help meet their transport costs from home and back.
Because of the struggle to introduce cricket to the majority, with no financial rewards, it was decided to name the team Strugglers.
This is how the game of cricket was introduced to the majority such that Zimbabwe Cricket can now field a team that reflects the demographics of the country.
It was, therefore, sad when I met Lazarus and he started telling me of the problems he is having with Zimbabwe Cricket.
“Mukoma I have travelled a long and hard journey since the days you guys taught us how to play cricket. To think that I was one of the pioneers of black cricket coaches in this country and yet get no recognition is painful.
“I do not want special treatment mukoma, but just respect in a game that I so much love and have fought for. Do you know that current national team coach Steve (Mangongo) and selector Givy (Makoni) are some of my early students?” he said.
When I asked him about the other players from the class of 1978/79, he said due to a variety of reasons they fell by the wayside.
Some, he said, persevered for a while but because of the system back then, were frustrated and eventually gave up.
“They were frustrated at the lack of opportunities availed to them. These are the people who made it possible for most of the current players to be where they are now.
“While the sport is now played at most schools, the pioneers from Strugglers deserve recognition. Sadly, you do not find them in any structures of the game and yet we have people in high offices, who cannot tell one (cricket) shot from another, running the sport.”
The Class of 1978/79 included Denson Kwande and Stephen Kazembe from Mbare; Crispen Tsvarayi from Mufakose Austin Biya from Rugare, Blessing Ngondo from Marimba Park, the late Paul and Dennis Musekiwa from St George’s workers residence .
Max Muzanenhamo and Augustine Matambo were the others.
Because of a similar style of bowling to former Rhodesian opening bowler, Peter “Gunner” Geach, I nicknamed Lazarus “Gunner”.
In no time Lazarus and the others mastered the game and were good enough to play for club sides.
Unfortunately, the whites were not too keen to integrate these new players.
So they found homes with the Asian cricket clubs such as Sunrise and Universals.
“From Strugglers I went to Sunrise where I played with former Zimbabwean opener Ali Shah, who was the captain, and the Chouhan brothers Dilip and Nick as well as Hamish Nail among others.
“After a few good performances at Sunrise, especially against Postals, I was elevated to the first team. I then played against guys like Duncan Fletcher, Ritchie Kaschula and Dave Houghton who were turning out for Alex.
“I learnt a lot from these guys and in 1980; I was part of the Sunrise team that toured Kenya. Later I moved to Universals, again with Shah and in 1983, I went to Tanzania where we played for the Central Africa Cup which was mainly for Asians living in Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya as well as Tanzania,” he said.
He later moved to Harare Sports Club where he played in the “B” team and teamed up with players like Dave Brain, Henry Rudd and former Strugglers teammate Paul Musekiwa and occasionally national team stalwart Andrew Pycroft would play in that team just to give advice.
“In 1986, while playing for Harare Sports Club, I was approached by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and asked to help spread cricket.
“I was appointed Development Coach responsible for Highfields, Glen Norah and Glen View.
“At one time I used to coach about 20 schools. I worked in these areas until 1993 when I was moved to Masvingo,” said Zizhou.
Because the ZCU was eager to gain Test status, it was in its best interest to spread the game to the majority.
This was one of the conditions of the International Cricket Council that cricket had to be played extensively by people of all colours.
Just to tease them, the ICC sanctioned “A” tours from Test playing nations to tour Zimbabwe.
These included the West Indies, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Having performed admirably against these second string sides, Zimbabwe was eventually granted Test status.
It was through the efforts of people like Lazarus, that Zimbabwe Cricket achieved Test status with its historic first match against powerhouse India at the Harare Sports Club in 1992.
Now he is being shuttled from one office to another, and from province to province, with no clear status.
“My last official assignment was from Masvingo to Bindura where I worked for two years as tertiary coach at Bindura University and since then I do not know what the ZC has in store for me,” he said.
“Now the country can stand proud and say we have black people playing cricket for their country when only a few years ago this was unthinkable.
“Where were these people (administrators) when we were in the trenches fighting for recognition?”
If there is a Zimbabwe cricket Hall of Fame, Lazarus deserves to be inducted there.
It is time Zimbabwe Cricket retraced its footsteps and find some of the real heroes who worked hard for the game.
I know what I am talking about because I was there.
Online Reporter