Cricket is a cruel sport. A lot give up lives for the sport. A lot live for the sport. Being a Zimbabwe cricketer is even crueller. You will never know when is the end. You don’t fight in the game but for the game. To play, to represent the country, to win matches, to walk out in pride. It doesn’t happen for a lot of people. It doesn’t happen for a lot of countries. Cricket is still a dream for those countries. It is like a fantasy dinner. Something, not everybody can afford.
Once a great cricketing nation Zimbabwe had to go through horrible stuff, get detained, go back with nothing, jobless. While a lot of countries play for the money, Zimbabwe cricketers do it because they want to tell stories to their kids. It is more about passion. The passion which is driven by a tiny hope of making it back. A passion that cannot wait to be passed on to the next generation. You can only feel sad for the fate of these cricketers.
Had they were born in different countries, they would have been stars. Hamilton Masakadza, of course, has created a name for himself, but had he born in some other country, he would have been celebrated today.
Having represented the nation for more than 18 years, this man has seen the highs and lows of Zimbabwe cricket. Still smiling, he comes out to entertain the crowd with his charismatic batting. Never a dull moment when he is out there to bat. Hit out or get out was his motto and he certainly did have days. Sometimes, great. Most of the times, low. Low because he would have scored still would have ended up on the losing side. The most painful moment is undoubtedly being thrown out of the ICC. Suspended.
Even today, as he walked out, he was smiling. He was ready to take on the bowlers. For one last time. He was attacking them and leading the team from the front. For one last time. As he scored the vital fifty, the team finally got over the line. He gave himself a treat. Something he was trying for a long time.
He lived for the game, with a hope. He hoped to see Zimbabwe fight against the top teams. He wanted to put his nation on the top. He tried. Still, he will walk away with his chin up, proud. Because he represented his country. He fought. He was there when the team had famous victories. He will walk with pride as he was able to represent his nation in the World Cup, an opportunity even great players didn’t get. He will walk out with pride only with the hope that he has inspired the generation to keep playing the game irrespective of what had happened and fight back.
It was not you, Masakadza, but them. Thank You!
