…I’d rather play club cricket anywhere else in the world Sports Reporter Zimbabwe born cricket prodigy, Tawanda Muyeye, who recently completed high school at Eastbourne College in East Sussex England and was named the Wisden school’s cricketer of the year has hinted that be may never feature for Zimbabwe. The 19-year-old reckons Zimbabwe is not a conducive country to nurture his sporting and life ambitions. “Never mind cricket, the political environment in Zimbabwe is not right for anyone at the moment .If a country has poor health delivery system and all the doctors are on strike; if a country does not observe its own rule of law and whoever raises a voice is persecuted; if a country is full of corrupt leaders and inflation is shooting through the roof, then whatever you are in such a country, it’s difficult to succeed,” said the outspoken teenager. Forced to narrow his sentiments to cricket, he said his main worry is there is no security in Zim cricket. “I have looked at great players who played in Zim and even represented the country but still decided to leave the country and play club cricket elsewhere. “The likes of Leg spinner Tafadzwa Kamungozi left Zim to play club cricket in Australia even after featuring for Zim in the 2015 World Cup. Sim bowler Tinashe Panyangara, all rounder Tawanda Mupariwa and many others chose to play grade cricket leaving Zim and that should tell you something. All those players would have wanted to play for Zim in Zim but the situation back home is not suitable.” Muyeye also added that over the years, the administration of the game in Zimbabwe has mishandled issues like salaries for players and the selection sometimes was not done on merit. “Unconfirmed reports suggest that ZimCricket fell into debt due to maladministration not too long ago. The debt had risen to 28 million and only after their account was frozen and ICC decided to drip feed Zim cricket did things improve. But all these are bad signs in a country that was also suspended for government interference in the sport. That never happens to a full member and it’s another red flag for me,” he said. Muyeye started playing cricket at Ruzawi Junior school in Zimbabwe before moving to Peterhouse. From there he moved to Eastbourne College in England where he rose to be the 2019 player of the year.
