You paved the way, believe it – South Africa vs Zimbabwe, this time for Africa

Source: You paved the way, believe it – South Africa vs Zimbabwe, this time for Africa – ESPN

Geopolitics have given cricketing neighbours, particularly in South Asia, a bad name in recent times. But not in Africa.

The continent’s two Full Members, South Africa and Zimbabwe, are enjoying successful T20 World Cups and will finally cross paths in Delhi on Sunday, which is expected to be a celebration of their journeys so far.

South Africa are already through to the semi-finals and more than likely to top their group. Though Zimbabwe are out of the running, they have achieved their best T20 World Cup finish and will avoid going through the qualifiers for the next edition. Neither have any worries – certainly not the kind that will take place in another part of the country, Kolkata, where India take on West Indies with qualification for the semi-finals still unresolved – and the mood is jovial.

There have been coffee and drinks dates, not least because Zimbabwe’s coach Justin Sammons used to be South Africa’s batting coach and there would have been some reminiscences about Zimbabwe’s role in helping South Africa prepare for the World Test Championship. Last June, Zimbabwe extended their time in England to play a tour match against the South Africans in Arundel. The most exciting thing to happen then was Kagiso Rabada breaking Ben Curran’s hand, but Curran is back on the circuit and there’s no bad blood.

Then South Africa, fresh off their Test mace win, had no time for a trophy tour at home because they had a series scheduled in Zimbabwe, which included Tests for the first time in 11 years. Hosting the champions, who happen to be the guys next door, was a treat in a bumper year for Zimbabwe and it barely mattered that Craig Ervine’s side was humbled. Wiaan Mulder retiring on 367* to avoid overtaking Brian Lara’s Test record was as much about his respect for a great of the game as it was for the game itself: South Africa had enough runs and there was no need to rub the neighbours’ noses in it.

South Africa went on to beat Zimbabwe in both fixtures in a T20I series but lost the final to New Zealand. Castle Corner, Zimbabwe’s life-of-the-party supporters, was cheering for South Africa, which tells you all you need to know about the feelings between these two sides.

The current relationship is cuddlier than ever, especially as they are two of the three co-hosts of the 2027 ODI World Cup (Namibia is the third) and there is no tension in the contest. Apart from Zimbabwe’s win over South Africa in the 1999 ODI World Cup – a result which had massive ramifications as it played its part in South Africa missing out on the final – South Africa’s path has run completely differently to Zimbabwe’s. For years, they didn’t play each other and as South Africa’s domestic game has creaked under its own financial pressures, Zimbabwe are no longer as involved as they were in the 1990s.

The recent thaw in relations comes as the Africa Cricket Association tries to resurrect itself – or just get going – and there are whispers of continental T20 tournaments. But only whispers. There’s also the rumour of an ODI tri-series in August, when South Africa and Namibia could travel to Zimbabwe to inaugurate the new stadium at Victoria Falls. South Africa did the same when they took a team to Windhoek to open the Namibia Cricket Ground, and were stunned by a plucky Namibia team that beat them. Considering the run South Africa are on now, maybe that was just another case of the guys next door being the firestarters.

But for all the goodwill, there are still some hostilities between South Africa and Zimbabwe, particularly at a social level. As a nation, South Africa struggles with a brand of xenophobia that is trained on migrants from elsewhere on the continent – it’s so acute it has been dubbed Afrophobia. As Zimbabweans make up the largest expat population in South Africa and run much of the country’s service industry by working in hospitality and homes, they often find themselves as targets of violent attacks. It’s a stain on a South Africa that owes Zimbabwe a great debt for the role it played in the anti-Apartheid struggle and the fight for freedom.

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South Africa may argue it pays that in other ways and does its bit where it can for Zimbabwe. One example is in football. Because none of Zimbabwe’s football stadiums are FIFA sanctioned, they play their home games in South Africa, on world-class pitches. And that was also handy when South Africa and Zimbabwe were drawn in the same qualification group for this year’s football World Cup. South Africa beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in their first meeting and then needed to win the return match to secure qualification. In what was a Zimbabwe “home” fixture in Durban, Zimbabwe’s Warriors proved pesky and held South Africa to a goalless draw. Ultimately, it only delayed South Africa’s progression to the main tournament by three days so no major damage was done, so to speak.

Zimbabwe won’t be at the tournament, which will feature nine African sides (and possibly a tenth after playoffs are decided) but will be at next year’s rugby World Cup for the first time in 36 years. They are also now guaranteed a spot at the 2028 T20 World Cup, which creates the opportunity for two other African sides to qualify and removes some of the pressure that has sat on Zimbabwe for the last eight years. They have ridden all the emotions of nearly and not quite getting to the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups and 2024 T20 World Cup and suffered the financial consequences of missing out, sometimes tragically.

The late Heath Streak and his entire coaching staff was sacked after Zimbabwe missed out on qualification in 2019 and Streak was later banned for breaching the anti-corruption code. While serving his time, he was diagnosed with cancer and died in September 2023. How he would have loved to see the turnaround of a team he gave everything for, to know of the redemption of Brendan Taylor, who also fell foul of the ACSU, and see the rise of a new crop of Zimbabwe fast bowlers.

Streak’s story and particularly his death affected me deeply, mostly because he was always a presence in my coverage of Zimbabwe cricket, which ESPNcricinfo readers will know is quite personal. So do allow me a moment here:

I was first sent to Zimbabwe in 2011, to cover their Test comeback after six-and-a-half years out of the longest format, and fell in love with everything there. I was welcomed with open arms into a cricket community that felt familiar, almost like the clubs I used to keep score for as a teenager, but was also a fully-fledged international set-up. Reporting on their progress and setbacks was complicated and interesting. I went back more times than I need to count and Zimbabwe became a second home and a safe haven.

Between 2013 and 2016, Cricket South Africa cut two reporters off from what they called “special privileges”, which included basic things like receiving press releases or any game-related information. I was one of them. I was still fairly young in my career and was already fighting against the status quo as a woman in a male-dominated field and the extra challenge threatened to become too much. I considered walking away many times but one of the only things that kept me in it was the relationship I built with Zimbabwe and the stories I got to tell from there. I never got to thank them but I hope I can now.

For bringing joy, and reminding me – and everyone – of our resilience as people, thank you Zimbabwe.

At the same time, it has never been a better time to be a sports reporter in South Africa. The recent and regular excellence of all our sporting codes (have I mentioned yet that South Africa are four-time rugby world champions?) has been thrilling. I have seen sport unite our country across gender, race and class lines in a way I had never imagined possible. For showing that we are truly stronger together, thank you South Africa. This time for Africa.

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