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Mehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
CHRISTOPHER Muyeye, the father of England-based Zimbabwean promising cricket star, Tawanda Muyeye who last week made history by winning the prestigious Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year award, says no decision has been made as yet on which country the lad will represent at senior level.

There was massive speculation when the Harare-born teenager won the award that he had dumped Zimbabwe for England. Tawanda Muyeye is in his Sixth Form at Eastbourne College where he has been on a cricket scholarship since 2018.

His father, who is based in Zimbabwe, has indicated that the lad still has a Zimbabwean passport and his priority is to finish high school then head off to university. And according to the dad, no decision has been made on which country his son will represent at a senior level. He has, however, not ruled out chances of his son acquiring a British passport in future, which would make him eligible to play for England.

“Right now his focus is getting a degree, he is looking at IT, Civil Engineering or Petroleum Engineering. It cannot be a rushed decision, I suggest we give it a bit of time, it’s all speculation that is out there, we wait for his decision,’’ Christopher Muyeye said.

He is aware about the speculation about his son’s future and with Tawanda being 19, the father feels the boy can make his own decisions with the role of parents being to support their children’s ambitions.

“I know there has been speculation about him playing for England, obviously all young men have their own ambitions, but for now it remains speculation. He still holds a Zimbabwean passport, but at 19 he can make his own choice and as parents we are there to support him and his dreams.”

Tawanda twice represented Zimbabwe at cricket tournaments played in South Africa in 2014. So good was the boy that Stephen Mangongo made him one of the non-travelling reserves for the 2018 International Cricket Council Under-19 Cricket World Cup held in New Zealand when he was still 15.

The youngster, however, chose to put his schooling first when the opportunity came to represent the country at this year’s ICC Under-19 World Cup held in South Africa.

“Tawanda’s A Level exams were coming in June 2020 unlike his peers who had written in October/ November 2019. If he had taken part in the competition that took place in January 2020, he would have missed the crucial part of his studies,’’ explained his father.

Christopher Muyeye, a Harare-based businessman, is excited by his son’s achievements in foreign lands. He attributed his winning the Wisden School Cricketer of the Year to lots of hard work.

“Obviously, I am quite ecstatic about him winning such a prestigious award especially as a foreigner. It is quite breathtaking that he has broken many records and keeps breaking them, including this award.  In my view real work for him starts now and if he keeps his head, the sky is the limit. However, as you know every sport has a limited lifespan because the world keeps on producing younger and better players, so my wish is for him to have a degree,’’ Christopher said.

ZC chairman, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, congratulated Tawanda on his achievement and said they were proud that he came through their structures.

“We congratulate Tawanda on his achievement, we are proud to have been associated with him as our non-travelling reserve for the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup. Unfortunately, he was unavailable for the 2020 edition,’’ Mukuhlani said.

The ZC boss is hopeful that Tawanda can get to represent the country of his birth in years to come when he has decided if that is what he wants.

“As ZC we are confident that he can play for his country of birth if he decides to do that in the future. That position has also been communicated to his parents, he still has a long way to go in his career. We wish him well.”

The man who spent hours in the cricket nets for over a year at Peterhouse refining Tawanda’s skills in the game, Ian Tinker, is excited by his protégée’s achievement.

“I am thrilled for him, he deserves these accolades due to his work ethic and attitude. Always willing to listen and try new ideas. Overall a wonderful humble young man,’’ Tinker said.

Tawanda was also a gifted rugby player whose talent saw him represent Zimbabwe in two competitions in South Africa – the 2014 Under-13 Craven Week and 2017 Under-16 Grant Khomo Week. He has since stopped playing rugby.