Former Yorkshire batter Gary Ballance will join Zimbabwe’s coaching staff. They will train in readiness for their one-off Test match against England on home soil at Trent Bridge on May 22. This is a really big deal! The first Test between these two countries since 2003, it promises to be a historic battle royale.
Ballance, who represented South Africa at youth level, won five Test caps for England between 2013 and 2017. In his four years with the English Test side, he played 23 Tests and 16 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). He created a sensational piece of history by becoming the joint third fastest player to 1,000 Test runs for England. He did it in the blink of time—10 Tests or 17 innings! His long list of achievements with Yorkshire saw him remain with the White Rose county until leaving for pastures new in 2021.
After retiring from professional cricket in 2023, citing that he “no longer has the desire to dedicate himself” to the sport, Ballance made a significant decision to represent Zimbabwe, the country of his birth. In 2021, he signed a two-year contract with the national cricket team of Zimbabwe. Since moving to Western Australia, he has played one Test, five ODIs, and one T20 match for them.
Beyond his playing experience, Ballance’s extensive background as a coach and administrator offers valuable perspective to the role. Givemore Makoni, managing director of Zimbabwe Cricket, said they were excited about Ballance’s participation. He highlighted that his massive experience with English conditions is learned from many years in the trenches competing at the top level. This expertise will be incredibly useful to our team’s tactical planning.
Ballance’s career has not been without controversy. He recently admitted to having been responsible for some of the offensive terms used against Azeem Rafiq during their time together at Headingley. USL’s official admission has cast renewed scrutiny on Ballance’s legacy in the sport.
Zimbabwe prepares for a landmark Test against England. Adding Ballance to the coaching staff is an astute move with a lot of buzz behind it. The team would surely like to use his deep knowledge of English cricket to help the U.S. team gain their competitive edge.
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