The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda Acting Sports Editor
FORMER Zimbabwe national cricket team bowler Tawanda Mupariwa left the country last Thursday for Northern Ireland to take up a club contract with Strabane, a side located in County Tyrone.
Mupariwa will be with the Northern Irish club until the end of September.
The medium pace bowler disclosed that the move to the club presents him with an opportunity to become a better player by playing in a different set up. With Ireland moving towards setting up first class structures, Mupariwa is hoping to break into those structures in future.
“I don’t know what the place has in store for me, the club is one of the top clubs in that country and I want to help them win the league. I know there are lots of expectations on my part as the overseas player. Ireland wants to set up first class structures and I hope to make it into that set-up,’’ said Mupariwa who was signed by the club as a bowling all-rounder.
Mupariwa, who turned out for Downend Cricket Club in Bristol, England last season in what was his first time playing club cricket abroad would be at the same club in Ireland with former Zimbabwe Under-19 captain Matthew Bentley. Other Zimbabwe born cricketers in the same league are Nathan Waller, Craig Ervine and Peter Moor.
The 29-year-old Mupariwa still believes that he has something to offer at international level for Zimbabwe. He last made an appearance in international cricket in August 2009 when Zimbabwe took on Bangladesh in a One-Day International match played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Mupariwa was in top form for his franchise Matabeleland Tuskers during this season’s Logan Cup as he ended with 32 wickets to his name. He missed Tuskers’ last match of the season away to Mashonaland Eagles at Harare Sports Club because of the journey to Ireland.
Mupariwa signed off the season with a superb bowling performance, picking up three wickets for Tuskers who defeated Eagles by eight runs in a Pro50 Championship match played last Tuesday at Harare Sports Club.
He said he is willing to return home if called up to the national team when the national side goes into camp on 2 June ahead of the visits to Zimbabwe by South Africa and Australia.
The player, however, said he is going to need assurances from the selectors and national team coach Andrew Waller that he is not being called up to be used as a net bowler.
He rubbished reasons for not calling him into the national team which are believed to be his lack of express pace.
“There has been talk about my pace but in Zimbabwe we do not have express pace bowlers. I have been successful bowling at this pace,’’ Mupariwa said.`
In 2008, the medium pace bowler became the fastest Zimbabwean bowler to 50 ODI wickets, getting to that mark in 28 ODIs, nine games fewer than Eddo Brandes.
