LONDON, (SATSports) – Top emerging cricket talent was on display across the recently concluded ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022. Amongst them, was the Zimbabwean contigent. The Southern African Times managed to get hold of Tanaka Zvaita who was amongst the budding stars to represent Zimbabwe at the the ICC Under 19 world cup. Born in April 2003 in Bulawayo, Tanaka Zvaita has been long viewed in the Zimbabwean circuit as one of the future stars of the game.
The batter, who is also a good enough bowler, is very new to competitive cricket, though. The 17-year-old is yet to make his senior List A or first-class debut but has been shining bright in age-group cricket thus far. Zvaita earned his maiden U-19 outing for Zimbabwe during the recently concluded Under 19 Cricket Word Cup. His stellar work has earned him a scholarship in the United Kingdom. Leo Muzivoreva sat with him, and this is how their conversation went…
L.M: Who really is Tanaka Zvaita? Where do you draw inspiration from?
T.Z : My name is Tanaka Zvaita, I was born in Bulawayo , Zimbabwe on the 14th of April 2004. I drew inspiration cricket wise growing up from Sachin Tendulkar.
L.M: How and when did your journey as a cricketer begin?
T.Z: Sport has been apart of me since I was extremely young , I have always found it as a way to keep active away from the classrooms and to make lifelong relationships.Luckily, where I lived in Bulawayo the kids who lived on the same street were heavily involved in cricket so it was that or nothing. Which is probably why I fell in love with cricket rather than soccer which is what most Zimbabwean kids normally tend to love more.
I would say the journey really began when I was in Primary school at Petra. I was heavily involved with sports as most of my mates were . My coach Trevor Chirwa was always encouraging of me to play the game which really allowed me to develop well and always enjoyed playing cricket. I did play hockey as well which allowed for me to strike a healthy balance as a young kid in terms of variety and choosing what I would enjoy the most.I then moved to Falcon College for high school which is a well known school for breeding cricketers. In that sense, I was very privileged to have had the opportunity to be able to train almost at any time which always helped me. The coaches there were fantastic such that I always felt as though there was always belief in me to do well.
L.M : What’s the biggest problem you’ve had to overcome so far?
T.Z : Growing up, the biggest challenge has been dealing with failure , how to heal from it and how to come out on top.There has been instances where I have come slightly short of achieving a goal and as sportsmen we normally tend to have more bad days to normal days than great days .The challenge of accepting that and learning how to take failures and applying them to try and produce those great days is probably one of the hardest challenges I have faced.
L.M: What do you enjoy most about being a cricketer? What do you hate most?’
T.Z: I really enjoy the sensation of playing the game and being involved in team wins which is very enjoyable , and obviously getting the chance to go to different countries and sometimes enjoy being a tourist which I always get jokingly teased about when I have my phone camera out. I think nothing beats the friendships made from the game.The amount of time you get to spend on the field and in the dugout with your mates is absolutely amazing. It is the relationships created outside the game which feels almost like another family.
L.M: You are in the UK on a scholarship, tell us more about the build up to how you got awarded the scholarship. What had you achieved to get such recognition?
T.Z: The build up towards the scholarship was mainly based around my Mom and my private coach Mr Rukato , who I pay a lot of credit towards in my development thus far.The main thinking around it was being independent and being outside my comfort zone, and having experience playing in English conditions.My Mom was very supportive of it and thought it could possibly change me from being “mama’s boy” as my sister likes to call me.I had done really well in schools cricket and Club cricket at Falcon College. A change of environment was definitely going to challenge me as a young boy.Luckily the opportunity arose.
L.M: How has your life changed in the UK in comparison to Zimbabwe?
T.Z: The first that springs to mind is leaving friends , family and not finishing off high school in Zimbabwe which was quite a bitter pill to swallow. Other than that I don’t like to think my life has changed much despite the move actually , private schooling in Zimbabwe and in the UK is slightly different although I am still a full time boarder here , just as I was at Falcon College which is why it has not changed much as yet.
L.M: What are your long term goals now that you are based in England?
T.Z: I normally use long term goals as a way of guiding me and ensuring I am heading in the right direction , The main goal is to play International Cricket which is the highest honour any cricketer my age can dream of. It would be an honour to be involved in another world cup as I was with the U19 Cricket world cup in the West Indies recently, which was a really great experience and lots of credit goes towards the coaching staff . I like taking things one step at a time so the upcoming season will be very important in experiencing new English conditions and fielding in the cold which is going to be a new experience. University would also be an option once I complete my A levels in June 2023. I suppose I will make the right decisions based on what’s going to help development at the relevant time.
L.M: Any words of encouragement to fellow cricketers back in Zimbabwe?
T.Z: For me , enjoying what you do has to be number one. Once you enjoy what you do , put time into it and you will receive dividends. I am big on hard work so I would definitely advise any cricketer to work hard and smart at the same time. Secondly, I would also say be patient as good things take time which is not always something easy to do.
