Former England and Zimbabwe cricketer Gary Ballance is set to join the Zimbabwean coaching team for their upcoming visit to England. Ballance, who enjoyed a lengthy career with Yorkshire in county cricket, will serve as a consultant during the one-off Test match at Trent Bridge, commencing on 22 May.
Ballance began his Test career during the 2013-14 Ashes series, quickly becoming the third-fastest England player to reach 1,000 Test runs, before his form declined, leading to his last appearance for England in 2017. He later returned to represent Zimbabwe, his birthplace, in 2023, playing in various formats and making a notable 137 not out on his Test debut for them. This achievement made him one of only two players to score centuries for two different Test nations.
Givemore Makoni, Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director, expressed enthusiasm about Ballance’s involvement: “We are thrilled to welcome Gary Ballance to our coaching set-up for this historic tour. His deep understanding of English conditions, gained over years of playing at the highest level, will be a valuable asset to our team’s tactical preparation.”
The Zimbabwean team is set to leave for the UK on Friday, with plans to play a warm-up match against a First-Class County XI in Leicester prior to the four-day Test. They will later face South Africa in Arundel from 3-6 June, as part of the Proteas’ preparations for the World Test Championship final.
