Gary Ballance, 33, has signed a two-year contract with Zimbabwe Cricket, which would see him play international cricket for his native land, five years after appearing in the last of his 23 Tests and 16 ODIs for England.
The player was released from his contract with Yorkshire earlier this week on the condition that he not play for another English county in the 2023 season after asking a fresh start in his career following the humiliating disclosures that emerged during the club’s racism crisis last year.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Zimbabwe Cricket and can’t wait to start work with some great coaches and talented players. The opportunity to represent Zimbabwe has given me a new-found passion and excitement for the game.
I have kept in touch with a number of people within Zimbabwe cricket over the years and it has been great to watch their recent progress especially.”
he said.
Following the completion of the negotiations with Zimbabwe and the formalisation of the contract, Ballance stated that he would be returning to the game with “a new-found zest and excitement,” after not playing for Yorkshire since the end of the 2021 season, during which time he was assisted by the club while on a mental-health break.
Ballance’s use of the racial epithet “P**i” in the original investigation on claims of institutionalised racism at Yorkshire was deemed to be “banter,” but this was later determined to be heavily linked to Azeem Rafiq’s explosive testimony during the DCMS parliamentary hearings in Westminster last November. Rafiq had claimed that there was an atmosphere of racism that engulfed the county cricket club.
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As an explanation, Ballance asserted that Rafiq had called him “Zimbo” in return and that the name had been used in the context of a cordial friendship between the two players. However, earlier this year, Ballance personally apologised to Rafiq.
He is one of seven Yorkshire players and employees who have been accused of racism by the cricket discipline commission. The hearing, nevertheless, has been postponed until the new year due to a number of appeals.
Zimbabwe’s director of cricket Hamilton Mazakadza welcomed Ballance to the national side and felt that the southpaw would be a great addition to their team, which has been putting in some very impressive performances in the recent past.
“We are elated to have Gary, an immensely talented and experienced cricketer, back home where it all started for him. He is a great addition to our domestic and international set-up and we are looking forward to him making a massive difference for us,”
Mazakadza said.
