Picture Credit: Twitter
England batter Gary Ballance is set to play cricket in Zimbabwe after leaving his county Yorkshire. Ballance has signed a two-year contract to play domestic cricket in Zimbabwe and then aims to be a part of the Chevrons' national team.
Ballance was born in Zimbabwe but moved to England as a schoolboy. He then returned to the African nation at the 2006 Under-19 World Cup. He then played for England 39 times after making his debut in 2013 but hasn't made in the English side since 2017.
The 33-year-old has been under contract in Yorkshire until 2024 but asked to be released from the deal early. He also agreed not to play for any other County side in 2023. In Zimbabwe, he has signed to play as a local player and could now feature in county cricket as an overseas player.
While talking about going back to play for Zimbabwe, Ballance expressed excitement and elation with this opportunity. He said, "I'm thrilled to be joining Zimbabwe Cricket and can't wait to start work with some great coaches and talented players."
Ballance then spoke about how he has been in contact with multiple members of Zimbabwe cricket and has been impressed with their improvement over the recent years. He said, "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."
Zimbabwe Cricket's Director, Hamilton Masakadza also talked about acquiring Gary Ballance and called him an ‘immensely talented and experienced cricketer’. "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," he added.