The Masakadza who came in from the cold

12 Nov, 2017 - 00:11 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

SHINGI MASAKADZA showed so much promise as a footballer that Dynamos swooped on him soon after he completed high school at St Francis Xavier’s Kutama College.

He even made the DeMbare bench a couple of times in 2005.

However, to the surprise of many – including older brother and Zimbabwe national cricket team batsman, Hamilton — the lad dumped football for cricket.

“I joined Dynamos right after high school, featured on the bench a couple of times in the Premier League and did play a few cup games. I was still young so I left Dynamos to play for Harare United in search of more game time before joining Chitungwiza United which later became Eagles,” recalls Shingi.

And what made you choose cricket, was it Hamilton?

“Not all,” he answers. “It was purely my own decision. He was even surprised to see me playing cricket. To top it off he was shocked to see me doing business as a pace bowler because he had always known me as a batsman who bowled leg spin.”

Shingi is now 30 and has five Tests, 16 ODIs and seven T20 International caps national caps under his belt.

He does not regret the decision to walk away from football and reckons he still has a say in the national team.

“I believe I still have a lot to offer. All I have to do is continue to work hard on my game and fitness and wait for my chance,” says Shingi whose last chance came in a Zimbabwe A appearance against South Africa Emerging side in August.

The Mountaineers player was full of praise for Hamilton after his knock of 147 in the first Test against West Indies at Queens Sports recently.

“I congratulated him on yet another tonne though I had hoped he would kick on and make it a double. Like any other older brother, he looks out for me and I always wish him well. I appreciate that he is always looking to set a good example for me and of course making sure I also stay in lane … as a cricketer I owe a lot to him.”

Shingi is expected to play alongside Hamilton for the Mountaineers against Rising Stars in a four-day game at Old Hararians starting today.

But he yearns for the day when all three Masakadza brothers— Hamilton, Shingi and Wellington — feature in an international match together. It almost happened when the trio was part of the Zimbabwe Test squad in Bangladesh in 2014, but sadly the youngest of the three — Wellington — did not get game time.

“It was a proud moment for all of us and the family too, though we hoped to have gone one better and play together. We have played together several games for Takashinga and Mountaineers and still hope that one day all three of us will be on the park in national team colours,” says Shingi.

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