Toreveyi, Zimbabwe cricket’s next big thing

Sport
Zimbabwe Cricket

Ranganai Dzotizei It has been long since Zimbabwe cricket last had decorated batsmen in the mould of Andy and Grant Flower and great bowlers like Heath Streak and Andy Blignaut but the country’s future after these greats might just be in the hands of Edwin Toreveyi. Cricket is life for the 21-year-old all-rounder whose road to realising his cricketing dream has been as riveting as it can come. “I started playing cricket at the age of eight after being inspired by my brother Elphas who once played cricket and I went professional at 11 playing for my junior school Redcliff, where I was captain before I went to Sandringham High for my secondary education,” he said. At Sandringham, Toreveyi’s dream took a dent as he found no creases and stumps in the playing grounds for four years as cricket was unavailable forcing him to go for the pawns, queens and kings in the world of chess. Toreveyi acquitted well in his new sport as he managed to come fifth in the national finals in 2007. However, a silver lining came when he met Alister Zowe, who is coach at club side Midwest Rhinos who roped him into the Under-17 side. “He helped me gain my confidence again and the exposure by mixing me with the senior guys there. We didn’t play many tournaments because of the economic crisis in 2008.” After finishing his “A” levels, the Kwekwe bred star was back into the Rhinos’ Under-19 side and it was after he moved to Fort Hare University in South Africa last year that things took a dramatic turn. In South Africa, he has played for Middledrift, University of Fort Hare B team and the Academy team and he has not looked back since then. Only last November at the University Sport South Africa games, Toreveyi caught the eye of many neutrals, albeit in a losing cause, when he top scored for his university B side with 48 runs in a match against Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. He also scored a personal best 78 not out for Middledrift against another club side Super Eagles last year. Like a true patriot, “Fugee” as he is popularly known, arms himself with the Zimbabwean flag in his kit bag every time he plays to remind himself of his dream to one day don the red of Zimbabwe. “I carry my flag as a motivating tool. It is always my dream to play for Zimbabwe and fight for my nation’s pride and I hope that dream will come true at some point.