Ambitious refugee Tawanda Muyeye is now a star of The Hundred. In early 2021, months before signing his professional contract with Kent Cricket, Tawanda had his right to remain in the United Kingdom approved by the Home Office.
Born and bred in Zimbabwe, Tawanda moved to England at the age of 17 and attended Eastbourne College on a cricket scholarship, while spending some time with the Sussex Academy.
Now a batter for Kent Cricket and the Oval Invincibles, Tawanda is set to compete at The Hundred, where he will be one of the few Black players at the tournament.
"For me to be a Black player, playing cricket in England, it just shows that there are no boundaries," Tawanda told The Voice.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
"If you have dreams, you can achieve them. The colour of your skin doesn't matter. Of course, there'll be hurdles along the way, but I think being a player of colour and being a representative is quite a big thing because it just shows that anything is possible."
While his professional career began in England, Tawanda's love for cricket was born in Zimbabwe when he was just a child.
For me to be a Black player, playing cricket in England, it just shows that there are no boundaries
"My brother was the person who got me into cricket. On the weekends, when he'd come back home from boarding school, I would play cricket with him. That's how it all started.
"In the High School that I attended, they'd just built a high performance cricket centre, which is unheard of in Zimbabwe, unless you're playing for the national team.
"There weren't many high performance centres, especially not in schools, so that was a massive thing, and I spent a lot of my time in there.
"When I moved to England, I think the biggest change was the weather! Goodness, I found that change difficult, even in April, May, it was still quite chilly for a Zimbabwean kid."
Tawanda made a big impression during his time at Eastbourne College. His runs led him to be named Wisden's Schools Cricketer of the Year for 2020, and Kent took notice.
"Kent are a big reason I'm where I am today. They had to jump through some hurdles to get me to this point because I'm a refugee, and my family are refugees.
"There was a man named Paul Downton, he was the Director of Cricket at Kent, and he went out of his way to help me. Kent gave me the opportunity to grow and develop as a player, and they've given me the platform to showcase what I can do.
"Looking back four years later, I'm just very grateful for Kent and everything they've done for me.
"I've just signed a new contract with them, and I want to give them a shoutout because it wasn't easy for them initially, but they made my life easier and treated me like a normal person and welcomed me with open arms."
Tawanda has achieved so much already, and it is the 24-year-old's mindset which keeps him moving forward.
"For me, it's about striving to be the best that I can be, not comparing myself to others, because I believe comparison is the thief of all joy.
"When you get into the professional game, it becomes a bit more complex, and the transition isn't easy. However, I think because I have that desire to be the best that I can be, it keeps me going and keeps me motivated to achieve my goals.
"My main aspiration is to play cricket for England, to play as many Test matches as I can for England. However, I don't just want to play for England once, I want to play for a long time and be good enough to achieve that goal."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Kent had to jump through some hurdles to get me to this point because I'm a refugee, and my family are refugees.
While his focus is on cricket, Tawanda hopes he is remembered for so much more than just the sport. "When I do finish playing cricket, I hope people remember me as a person first and foremost, because I'm a human being. I go through everything that every other human being goes through.
"I don't want people to put me on a pedestal, because no one is bigger than anyone or bigger than the sport. If people are to think about me when I finish playing, I just want them to think that I was entertaining, and a fun person to watch.
"I just want to be myself, go out there, be free and play with a smile on my face and inspire people to have fun with what they're doing."
