T20 World Cup: How Zimbabwe opener Tadiwanashe is playing for younger brother whose cricketing dream ended abruptly
However, the dream came crashing down when he had to be operated on for arthritis in 2020. The road back was filled with struggle. While Tanatswa was able to walk, he could not find his mojo back with the bat, as he struggled with mobility.
“I actually thought he’d play for Zimbabwe, but you know, some things are really out of our control. And for me to be playing for my country each and every day, it’s really an honour,” the Zimbabwean opener told this daily on the sidelines of practice here on Wednesday. “It was really emotional and really heartbreaking because I also remember I was still in school. And it was something new to me, I couldn’t really know how to deal with it. We actually took one day at a time, but it was really heartbreaking,” he added.
When he was in recovery Tanatswa took to photography and decided to become a sports photographer. It was his way of being associated with the sport he loved. In his personal site, Tanatswa says that he has covered Zimbabwe’s matches against New Zealand and South Africa in the tri-series last year and the Zim Afro T10 League in 2024. “For him (Tanatswa), getting into sports photography was just a way of him trying to be involved in sports because he couldn’t really get on the field or actually fit enough to play cricket. So, for him, getting into that side or getting into photography was a way of him staying close to the game and actually showing his passion in another way,” Tadiwanashe said.
Having been a part of his brother’s journey, the 24-year-old opener is appreciative of the opportunities he has gotten in life. “My name (Tadiwanashe) means love by God. Then Tanatswa, it means mercy or grace from God,” said the opener, exemplifying their persistent belief in the times of hardship. “I think my main takeaway is just gratitude in advance because everything I have or where I am now, it’s not promised or guaranteed. So, I try to be grateful with everything I have and to be in this situation, that’s all I can. Just to control and focus on the moment, on the present,” he said.
