Gary Ballance, who has represented both the England and Zimbabwe national cricket teams, will be part of Zimbabwe’s coaching staff for the upcoming England vs Zimbabwe Test match this month.
The 35-year-old cricketer played 23 Test matches and 16 One Day Internationals for England between 2013 and 2017.
In 2021, while at Yorkshire, Ballance was accused of using racist language—allegations he admitted to. Following that, he signed a two-year contract with Zimbabwe, the country of his birth.
He went on to play one Test match, five ODIs, and one T20 for Zimbabwe before retiring in 2023. Now, he returns to the game in a coaching role for Zimbabwe in this month’s Test match.
Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director Givemore Makoni commented on the appointment:
“We are thrilled to welcome Gary Ballance to our coaching set-up for this historic tour. His deep understanding of English conditions, gained over years of playing at the highest level, will be a valuable asset to our team’s tactical preparation.”
While playing for England, Ballance became the third-fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs, achieving the milestone in just 10 Tests or 17 innings.
Over his Test career, he scored 1,653 runs at an average of 40.31. However, his form declined in later years, and he was dropped from the squad in 2017.
This match will mark the first time since 2003 that England and Zimbabwe face each other in a Test match.