[Interview]: Richard Ngarava

[Detective RDS]

http://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-arti ... ast/200610

For ‘Big Rich’ Ngarava, Mankading hurt is in the past
Manoj Narayan|Cox’s Bazar| February 8, 2016

“Ma-Richo! Go, Ma-Richo!”

The Zimbabwe Under-19 bunch was quite obviously delighted when Richard Ngarava won the Man of the Match award for his brilliant for 4 for 10 in nine overs in the game against South Africa Under-19 on Monday (February 8). When his name was called, out he stepped from behind a crowd of team-mates, and shyly walked up to collect the trophy.

Ma-Richo is his nickname. It means Big Rich. And yes, Richo is quite big. He towered over the match referee, Dev Govindjee, who handed him the prize, and looked very out of place posing for photos.

He didn’t look awkward at all in the morning, though, when he ripped South Africa apart to help shoot them out for a paltry 91. His height had come to good use then, the medium pacer extracting a bit extra from the pitch to keep the batsmen adhering to his commands.

Ngarava bowled a disciplined line, aiming for the top of off stump, but would suddenly go short and get extra bounce to unsettle batsmen. Within nine overs at the start, South Africa had been reduced to 12 for 4 – Ngarava had picked three of those wickets. Later, a short delivery to Willem Ludick was fended straight to short leg. A hit-the-deck bowler, Ngarava showed promise. A lot of it.

Yet, a little under a week ago, Ngarava was in the middle of the Mankading row that could very likely have changed the course of Zimbabwe’s tournament. He was the last man out. It was for his wicket that Keemo Paul decided to whip off the bails as he ran in to bowl. It’s been a tough week since for Ngarava. This performance should come as a balm.

Ngarava is a man of few words, but the pain of that dismissal is still obvious.

“We’re better than them (West Indies), in terms of cricket,” he tells Wisden India. “But now it’s all done. It’s all over. That’s it. We’re no longer in the finals. But yeah, this (performance) shows we’re up for it. I made a decision that it’s gone already, it’s happened. So I had to focus on the games in hand now.”

That loss was particularly painful for Zimbabwe, because they had struggled to get to the tournament in the first place. Before the World Cup, they had limited facilities, the coaching staff wasn’t finalised in time, and there was much uncertainly till very recently. Despite that, the boys, who were deflated with the whole situation in November, picked themselves up and pushed forward.

“We spent three months focusing on this tournament, the processes. It came out well today,” says Ngarava. “I remember, in November, everyone was down and stuff like that. Our preparation coming here wasn’t perfect. We didn’t have that many facilities, the coaching staff … we don’t get to play much cricket over there. But we got ourselves up, and now we’re here.” The problems plaguing the junior team are similar to those that have harmed the senior side as well – administration. “The administration has to get better for us players to have some benefit. Facilities are the main problem. I still chose cricket because I love the game.”

That love was instilled when, as a nine year old, he would play with his brothers. Most of his family is interested in cricket, he says. But he attributes his rise to Stephen Mangongo, the current Under-19 coach who was earlier in charge of the senior team.

“He is the one who brought me up to where I am right now,” says Ngarava. “Every time, when I practice, he is just there standing and looking at me, supporting me, giving me encouragement. Every time.”

Ngarava also knows and is encouraged by members of the Zimbabwe senior team, including Hamilton Masakadza, who is his favourite player, Tinashe Panyangara and Tendai Chatara. He has also met Dav Whatmore, the current Zimbabwe coach, who once came to watch him play a school-level match.

Asked what his conversations with all these big figures were like, Ngarava says that they all told him the same thing: “Boy! You’ve got height. You be big, boy. You must be there for a reason – to play cricket.”

The interaction becomes amusing when he is asked what he likes to do apart from cricket. “Drinking water,” he says.

What? Really?

He laughs. “I just like drinking water. I don’t know why. I just love drinking water. I choose water over Gatorade any day.”

It turns out he also likes listening to gospel music.

Ngarava seems like a good kid. He dreams of going back home, reaching first-class level soon, and eventually play for the senior side.

He is one of the many talented players in this spirited Zimbabwe side. One can only hope they don’t get lost in the great muddle that Zimbabwe cricket is.

Manoj Narayan is Senior Staff Writer at Wisden India. He tweets @manojnarayan08.

[Conant]

Strange how they all mention Steve Mangongo as a big influence in their growth, not how he bullies them senseless. The man can do somethings right, it seems.

[ZIMDOGGY]

he is a good developmental coach. Suits age group cricket.