India and Zimbabwe players took the field wearing black armbands during the second T20I of the three-match series at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday, July 25. The gesture was a mark of respect for former Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) Vice Chair Sylvester Matshaka, who passed away on Friday after a brief illness at the age of 76.
Matshaka breathed his last at West End Clinic in Harare, just a day before the second T20I. He dedicated more than two decades of service to Zimbabwe Cricket, having joined the board in 2006 before being appointed Vice Chair in 2015. During his tenure, he played an important role in the rebuilding of the Zimbabwe men's team, which recently secured a one-off Test victory and an ODI series win over Bangladesh.
After the match between India and Zimbabwe started, the BCCI shared the reason on its official X account. “Team India and Zimbabwe players are wearing black armbands to pay their respects to the Zimbabwe Cricket Vice-chairman Sylvester Matshaka, who passed away last night.”
Matshaka leaves behind a lasting legacy in Zimbabwe cricket
Away from cricket, Matshaka also had a distinguished career in public service. He served as the Provincial Education Director for Mashonaland East in Zimbabwe's Ministry of Education before later becoming the Deputy Director of Sport and Culture. Despite the tragic loss, Zimbabwe cricket continues to move forward with optimism. The nation is set to co-host the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup alongside South Africa and Namibia, highlighting the progress made by the game in the country.
Zimbabwe will hope to honour Matshaka's memory with a spirited performance against India in the ongoing T20I series. The hosts trail the three-match series 1-0 after suffering a seven-wicket defeat in the opener, where Vaibhav Sooryavanshi starred with his maiden international half-century. In the second T20I, India posted 219/5 after being put into bat, thanks to half-centuries from Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma. In reply, Zimbabwe lost half their side inside the first 10 overs, leaving them with a mountain to climb.
