The Sunday Mail
Brighton Zhawi
WHEN the Chevrons went into camp in Bulawayo to finalise preparations for India’s visit, Neville Madziva (pictured)was not in the framebut that did not stop him from training hard and dreaming big. As the national team fine-tuned preparations for the just concluded tour by India, the 24–year-old was 460km away, silently working on his game at Harare Sports Club.
On several occasions he would tell his training partners, Kuda Munyede of Mid West Rhinos and the Mountaineers duo of Victor Nyauchi and Kuda Chirume, that he would star in a Zimbabwean victory during the impeding series.
“Boys, where will you be seated during games? I want to run towards you celebrating when I inspire the team to a win over India,” Madziva reportedly said. With the bowler not even in the provisional squad, his buddies took this as idle banter.
“They thought I was joking but something told me that I would play against India, even though I was not part of the team that was in camp in Bulawayo,” said Madziva.
“I am a strong believer my guy, and I have faith in God. I go to PHD Ministries where we are encouraged to believe in God all the time so even though I was not in the team I believed. “I knew being dropped was not the end of my career, and besides, it’s always my policy to stay ready every time in case an opportunity comes my way.”
Madziva was added late to the squad and covered himself in glory on June 18 as Zimbabwe stunned India by two runs in aT20 encounter at Harare Sports Club. Skipper Graeme Cremer tasked Madziva with bowling the last over.
“I knew the last over was mine two overs before because the skipper told me about his decision at the end of the 17th and I must say that gave me a chance to get ready for the biggest moment of my career.
“I told myself that whatever the score, even if they needed five off the last over they were not going to get them and by the grace of God I prevailed,” said Madziva. The right arm pacer conceded just six runs as Zimbabwe snatched a memorable two-run victory.
But Madziva wheeled away in celebration towards the wrong direction. “I thought my guys were seated by the Castle Corner as usual but they were not there and it’s not my fault,” laughed Madziva. The Mid West Rhinos all-rounder feels indebted to his training partners for sticking by him at a time he cut a forlorn figure at Zimbabwe Cricket House in Newlands, Harare.
They trained hard and after the net sessions they would sit in the Harare Sports Club carpark listening to Madziva’s favourite artiste, Ras Caleb, as they “meditated”.
“I think being left out of that Bulawayo training camp was a blessing in disguise, it made me work on my game more. It was a great experience with my boys here. They pushed me to work hard even when I felt tired, they are naturally hard workers,” Madziva said of Chirume, Nyauchi and Munyede.
With the way he performed against India, it’s difficult to imagine Madziva being left out of a national cricket team training camp again any time soom. “It is God’s work, you work hard and leave the rest to Him,” said the all-rounder.
