By Anesu Chakanetsa
IN his younger days, Edmond Mtet- wa was good at a variety of sports but later decided to settle on basketball, becoming a marvel to watch during live
broadcasts by ZBC-TV at the turn of the millennium.
Being the shortest player in the Var- sity Leopards, Mtetwa defied the odds and mesmerised fans, simultaneously leaving opponents dumbfounded with his deft skills, passes and shots at the basket.
Later on in his career, Mtetwa joined Flame Lily Football Club, then plying their trade in Division 1. But his flirta- tion with the beautiful game was short- lived, and he was soon back on basket- ball court.
His playing days over, he undertook several training courses in different sports, turning himself into a veritable Jack of all trades.
Later, he was involved in the launch of a new sport called ‘foot golf’ which com- bines elements of both golf and football. The project, however, still-born. But that was not the end of Mtetwa’s sport- ing adventurism.
In recent years, Mtetwa has been going around Zimbabwe, introducing cricket to underprivileged children in the rural areas.
Why cricket, a sport long associated with the country’s elite schools?
Cricket has long been considered an elite game, played by the privileged. But since the turn of the millennium, players from Chitungwiza, Highfield and Nketa in Bulawayo, among other places, have been coming to the fore.
“Cricket is a game in which Zimbabwe has the best chance of excelling more than in any other sports because it is already deeply etched in Zimbabweans’ psyche and there are already facilities in place to support the game. It is also the best managed.
“There is a lot of discipline required in cricket as compared to other sports. So, it’s not only about cricket development,
but the personal development of these young individuals,” says Mtetwa.
The rural areas have been margin- alised in terms of sports development since colonial times, and Mtetwa feels it is time to change the narrative.
“I have been to Chiweshe, Nembudzi- ya and Sanyati, among other places.
There is an abundance of bowling and batting talent out there,” he says.
Generally, there is a variance in the upbringing of children in rural areas and in the townships. Children in the rural areas in Zimbabwe as a general rule undertake rigorous tasks around the home and in the fields while their urban counterparts are accustomed to a few light duties.
A case in point is West Indies’ maestro Chris Gayle who he grew up in Water- loo, Kingston, Jamaica, but attributes some of his work ethic and batting power to the back-breaking work he did in the sugarcane fields to support his family.
Gayle remains one of the most pow- erful batsmen in cricket history, hitting a six that nearly dropped in the State House grounds from the Harare Sports Club.
Little wonder, Mtetwa is scouting for such raw talent in the rural areas.
“There is vast talent in the rural areas and coaches and talent scouts should not confine themselves to the urban areas,” he says, adding: “We are targeting 20 players from the rural areas to, at least, be in the national team by year end, and a lot more others joining local clubs.”
Zimbabwe is scheduled to co-host the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup alongside South Africa and Namibia. This willbe the second time Zimbabwe will be co-hosting the tournament, the first time being in 2003.
The 2027 edition, to be played be- tween October and November 2027, will feature 14 teams.
Zimbabwe’s preparations for the tour- nament include restructuring its domes- tic and development pathways, building indoor training facilities and setting up a national academy.