The Sunday Mail
Brighton Zhawi
HE loves the game so much.
In this game, he finds solace, especially after the tragic loss of his wife, Karen, to leukaemia close to two years ago.
Now, he is getting fulfilment as a coach tasked to work with future Zimbabwean players.
He is loving it.
The domestic cricket season is expected to start this month and there will be a new team on the roster, the Alistair Campbell High Performance Programme Academy, which is working in partnership with Zimbabwe Cricket.
That team is being coached by the passionate Brent.
“Coaching is something I am really passionate about. It’s not just coaching for me, but getting technically professional cricketers and dealing with the guys mentally. Cricket is a game that is very individual, with 11 individuals playing as a team,” he said.
Brent played international cricket for 12 years, before hanging up his spikes.
It was like a calling for the 43-year-old who won the double as Mountaineers coach in 2014.
A veteran in junior cricket coaching with stints in Britian and Zimbabwe, Brent feels at home with his role.
He is also co-founder of Howzat Academy.
“I have been privileged with an immense job, and my job is to develop the cricketers. They also need to be developed as human beings, that comes first before they become cricketers,” he said.
“I have been making remarkable progress.
“A lot of guys have lost a lot of weight. Mentally, they are much better now. Without doubt, we will be the fittest franchise.
“Their growth as individuals has been remarkable, their cricketing growth has gone with that. This is crucial to achieve things like humility, hard work and integrity.
“In the past, most cricketers lost their humility way too early in their careers. No one is bigger than the game, no one is bigger than the team.
“And it’s not about just talking, whatever you say, you have to back that up with action.”
Brent’s boys, who are known as Rangers, will be playing against the Tuskers, Mountaineers, Eagles and Rhinos in the 2019/2020 season.
Will they cope?
“The beauty about having youngsters is that they are hungry to perform and advance to the next level. Our next challenge is to maintain that hunger
“I can’t wait for the guys to showcase what they have been doing for the past five months,” said a confident Brent.
Despite Brent’s love for cricket, he says family means everything to him.
“Life is all about balance. Sport can be equated to work. All the facets of your life are like juggle balls. That of your family is made of glass. If you drop that one, it shatters and you won’t get it back. That is the most important thing.
“To me, God is my other glass ball. l don’t want to drop those two.
“But, work is the rubber ball. If something happens at work, it will bounce back.
“I have three children. My oldest has just left school and is now working. Then, there is my young daughter and my young son, who is in Grade Five. I will never push him into sport, something that never happened to me.
“Unfortunately, my wife passed away a year and a half ago. It was a bad time, she had leukaemia.
“I got stuck with it (cricket), just got myself very busy, spent a lot of time with these guys. Trying to help out as much as I can and not spending too much time alone has really helped me,” Brent said.
