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Ex-English Cricketer Switches Sides To Zimbabwe Ahead Of Historic England Tour

Akshita Patel

Ex-English Cricketer joins Zimbabwe as coach [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]Ex-English Cricketer joins Zimbabwe as coach [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/X.com]

Zimbabwe Cricket has appointed former England cricketer Gary Ballance as a coaching consultant for their upcoming Test match against England. The game is scheduled for May 22–25, 2025, at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

The upcoming Test match between Zimbabwe and England is a historic contest, as the former will land on English soil in over 20 years, as their last tour was back in 2003.

Hence, to prepare well for the impending Test match, Zimbabwe roped in a former England cricketer into their coaching staff.

Gary Ballance Roped In As Zimbabwe’s Coaching Consultant

In a significant move, Zimbabwe Cricket signed former England cricketer Gary Ballance as their coaching consultant for the England tour. Ballance, who was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, brings a lot of experience to the role. 

He played international cricket for both England and Zimbabwe during his career. He is especially familiar with English playing conditions, having spent many years playing in England. 

As a left-handed batter, he had a great start to his Test career. In 17 innings for England, he scored 1,017 runs at an amazing average of 67.93, second only to the legendary Don Bradman among batters with over 1,000 Test runs.

Needless to say, Zimbabwe Cricket hopes this knowledge will help the team prepare well for the important match. 

South Africa To Face Zimbabwe Before WTC Final

South Africa will reportedly play a one-off 4-day Test against Zimbabwe ahead of their World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia on June 11 at Lord’s. The Proteas will also face Sussex on June 3 as part of their preparation. In a big boost, Kagiso Rabada has been cleared to return after serving a doping ban, making him available for the high-stakes WTC final.