FORMER Zimbabwe middle-order batsman Forster Mutizwa will today make his international debut as an onfield umpire when Zimbabwe takes on Bangladesh in the second T20I at Harare Sports Club.
Mutizwa has broken new ground by becoming the first former Zimbabwe international to stand in an international match.
Zimbabwe attained its Test status in 1992. Mutizwa becomes the sixth black umpire to stand in a full international, following Jeremiah Matibiri, Owen Chirombe, Langton Rusere, Iknow Chabi and yesterday Christopher Phiri.
The former wicketkeeper-batsman made his One Day International (ODI) debut against Kenya in Mombasa in 2009 and went on to play 17 matches for the Chevrons scoring four half-centuries and averaging 31.
Two years after making his ODI debut, he played the first of his 3 T20I’s, debuting against New Zealand at Harare Sports in 2011.
Five months later, he played in his only Test match for Zimbabwe away to New Zealand with the highest score of 18.
The 35-year-old should count himself unlucky to have only played three years of international cricket. He had an excellent first-class record in which he scored 5524 runs at an average of 38.62, which included 14 hundreds and 25 half-centuries.
However, despite his obvious batting talent, in 100 List A matches, he did not score a hundred.
In a career spanning 15 years on the domestic scene, he won every domestic title with Mountaineers.
The Harare born umpire’s love for umpiring started during his playing days as he would umpire many schools cricket matches. In May 2016, at the peak of his career, he umpired in a T20 match between Zimbabwe Women’s team and South African Women at the Country club in Harare.
Frustrated at not being selected to play again for his country, the right-handed batsman called time on his playing in March 2019 and decided to follow his passion in umpiring.
To date, he has umpired in a solitary T20I as a TV umpire, seven List A matches, four T20s and six First-Class matches.
Former international players like Stuart Matsikenyeri and Douglas Hondo, among others, have gone into coaching. Mutizwa’s story should encourage other former players to take up umpiring as an alternative career path once their playing days are over.
