The Sunday Mail
Brighton Zhawi
IT’S all bliss for best buddies Wesley Madhevere and Milton Shumba who are set to etch their names in history by becoming the first Zimbabwean players to feature at three ICC Cricket Under-19 World Cup tournaments.
Next month’s tournament slated for January 17-February 9 in South Africa will be historic for the two best friends, who made their maiden World Cup appearance aged 15 at the 2016 edition in Bangladesh, and were also part of the team that played in New Zealand in 2018.
You can understand how chuffed the two boys from Chitungwiza are ahead of their impending feat.
“It’s a privilege and an honour to represent my country for a third time at a World Cup stage,” said left handed top order batsman Shumba.
“It’s one of the things I prayed for before and it’s a dream come true for me to represent my country again at a third World Cup.
“It’s a great feeling to do something that has not been done before, it comes with joy and hardwork as well,” he said.
For Madhevere who has been studying at St Charles College in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa, a third appearance comes with extra responsibility to do well for the team. “It’s a good feeling, it’s something special and I am humbled to achieve this.
“I know it comes with high expectations, but if I do my basics well and keep my head down it’s going to be easier for me and the team to be in winning positions.”
Churchill High school student Shumba, who spent half of this year playing club cricket in the UK concurs about pressure that comes with being a senior player.
“It’s a good thing I went down there (to the UK for Club Cricket) to see what other people do and how they play their cricket.
“The positive thing or how it positively impacted me was to realise that performance is key. “To make history it’s all about performance, to be said you are good it is performance,” said Shumba.
Nothing pleases Shumba than being on the brink of history with his ‘day one’.
“That’s the enjoyable part about it, playing with someone you have grown up with, representing Chitungwiza.
Our parents are so close, and it encourages us to keep aiming higher.
“When I am down he is always there to lift me up and I do the same for him.
“Competition keeps us going, we compete a lot between ourselves,” said the Churchill student.
A number of Zimbabwean players have made two Under-19 World Cup appearances and these include Elton Chigumbura, Brendan Taylor and Luke Jongwe.
Shumba and Madhevere are, however, set to be in their own league and their coach Prosper Utseya is happy for the young men.
“It’s a privilege and honour to have the same guys chosen for the third time to represent Zimbabwe at a world stage.
“They bring experience into the side, they bring calmness, composure that everyone can feed from the experience they have had’’.
Zimbabwe are in group C with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Scotland with their first match coming against Bangladesh on January 18 at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom, then Pakistan on January 22 at the Witrand Oval also in Potchefstroom before they date Scotland at the same venue.
