The Sunday Mail
Brighton Zhawi
Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE cricketer Tino Mutombodzi and his sweetheart Miriam Pachawo would have tied the knot today, but due to the coronavirus their highly anticipated walk down the aisle has been put on hold.
“It has not been easy especially for my fiancée,” Mutombodzi told The Sunday Mail Sport yesterday.
“Just read her status on WhatsApp yesterday, it said, ‘So tomorrow would have been my wedding day’ with sad faces.
“For some minutes I actually did not know how I could respond to her as I know the impact it has had on her,” he said.
Zimbabwe, like many countries across the world, is on lockdown as part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease.
“Honestly, no one knows when and how this is going to end, so we will see how things go,” said the 29-year-old all-rounder.
How has he been handling these sort of innings himself?
“It is a bit devastating, but to be fair, for me I take things as they come, but at the same time I try by all means to be there for my woman and promise her that eventually we will get married.’’
Mutombodzi paid lobola for Miriam on the last day of 2019 after their seven-year-long relationship.
The couple could have wedded today, but the holy matrimony will happen on another day which Mutombodzi believes will still be a “beautiful” one.
“So what I try to keep reminding her is that it is all good, everything happens in its time. Our day is still going to come and it will be more beautiful than it was going to be.”
Mutombodzi, who has one Test cap, 14 ODIs and 15 T20 Internationals, says he has been finding time for fitness, thanks to the national trainer who has sent him programmes to follow during the lockdown.
“Well, our fitness trainer has put in place a home fitness programme; this only takes 30 minutes of my time.
“So most of the time I am just trying to keep myself entertained with movies, reading and it is also a perfect time for family bonding.”
There are other international cricketers whose wedding plans have also been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Australia’s leg-spinner Adam Zampa, batsman D’Arcy Short, bowlers Jackson Bird, Andrew Tye and Mitchell Swepson are some of the players who had weddings scheduled for April.
