FAITH NDOU
MASVINGO-From the dusty streets of Rujeko in Masvingo to representing Zimbabwe on the international stage, Tendai Sam Chisoro’s cricket journey is a story of passion, sacrifice, resilience and determination.
Like many children growing up in Zimbabwe at the time, he would spend hours playing in the streets with friends, dreaming of one day wearing the national colours.
“I started playing cricket in the dusty streets of Rujeko because of the 1999 Cricket World Cup,” he recalls.
Ironically, cricket was not even his strongest sport during his childhood years.
“I was actually a better soccer player than a cricketer, but there were more opportunities and money in cricket than soccer,” said Chisoro.
His talent was nurtured at Victoria Primary School and later at Victoria High School in Masvingo where Zimbabwe Cricket development coaches played a crucial role in shaping his career.
Chisoro started playing cricket competitively at the age of 11 while still in primary school.
The dream became reality when he received his first call-up to the Zimbabwe national team.
“I was so excited and couldn’t believe what was going on,” he said.
His international debut against Afghanistan in Bulawayo remains one of the standout moments of his career. Despite nerves threatening to overwhelm him before the match, Chisoro rose to the occasion.
“I was sweating before I even got onto the field. I took three wickets and we won by eight wickets,” he remembered.
Over the years, Chisoro established himself as a dependable all-rounder capable of delivering with both bat and ball. One of his finest performances came against the West Indies on November 25, 2016, in Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe had collapsed to 127/8 before Chisoro and Sikandar Raza rescued the innings with a record nine-wicket partnership.
“We were in trouble at 127/8 and batted with Raza to get to 218/8. I scored 42 not out, which became Zimbabwe’s best ninth-wicket partnership. I also got the first two wickets,” he said.
That performance earned him the Player of the Match award and remains one fans still talk about today.
Another unforgettable moment came during Zimbabwe’s clash against Scotland at Harare Sports Club during the World Cup qualifiers.
Chisoro took the first three wickets to set up Zimbabwe’s victory in front of a passionate home crowd.
He still remembers the winning moment vividly.
“Neville Madziva hitting a six to win the game against Scotland was special because he is one of my best mates. Luke Jongwe also took responsibility to open the batting after Regis got injured,” he said.
Chisoro credits several teammates for helping him through difficult periods in his career. Among them are Richard Ngarava, Graeme Cremer, Luke Jongwe, Neville Madziva and Kyle Jarvis.
“Richard Ngarava is prayerful and always checks on me. Graeme Cremer always believed in me and backed me up as captain. Luke Jongwe and Neville Madziva always had my back,” he explained.
Although he enjoyed many aspects of international cricket, Chisoro admits balancing professionalism and social life was one of the biggest challenges he faced.
“It was difficult finding the balance between social life and professionalism,” he said.
Away from Zimbabwe, Chisoro gained valuable experience playing club cricket overseas.
He featured for Fordhouse Cricket Club in England’s Birmingham League in 2015 and 2017, Epsom Cricket Club in the Surrey League in 2019, 2023 and 2024, Kelso Cricket Club in Scotland’s Border League in 2022, and St Patrick’s Cricket Club in Australia during the 2022/23 season.
He also played franchise cricket in Afghanistan for the Speen Ghar Tigers in 2017.
According to Chisoro, overseas cricket transformed him into a better player.
“Playing overseas gives you more responsibility and pushes you to carry the team. I became a better cricketer because of the overseas gigs,” he said.
He highlighted how conditions abroad tested his adaptability, especially in England and Scotland where swing bowling dominates.
“The ball swings and moves around a lot more there. Australia’s conditions are almost similar to Zimbabwe,” he noted.
Domestically, Chisoro says his heart remains with Midwest Rhinos, a franchise where he built strong friendships and enjoyed some of his best cricket memories.
However, one of his proudest achievements came with Southern Rocks during the 2018/19 season when the team won the Logan Cup for the first time and he finished as the tournament’s leading bowler.
Despite challenges in batting form during the 2021/22 season, Chisoro says he was fortunate to avoid major injuries throughout his career apart from suffering a side strain at the age of 18.
Now still active in the game, Chisoro has not retired from cricket. He currently plays socially for Triangle Cricket Club and coaches at Kyle College, helping groom the next generation of cricketers.
His advice to young Zimbabwean cricketers is simple but powerful.
“If you are fit, everything becomes easier,” he said.
Beyond cricket, Chisoro believes sport has the power to transform lives and keep young people away from trouble.
“Play sport, occupy yourself with something that helps you stay fit and stay out of trouble. Sport changes life,” he said.
When all is said and done, Chisoro hopes Zimbabwean cricket fans will remember him for stepping up when the nation needed him most.
“I want to be remembered as the guy who was man of the match in a crucial game that helped Zimbabwe reach the final in a triangular series,” he said.
