Meet Coach Thulani.
I am a 35 year old man, and a cricket coach by profession. I started coaching when I was 16 years old. I actually got into cricket as a sport when I was very young. I grew up in the small town of Zvishavane in Zimbabwe. Let’s just say I was really fortunate to be able to attend my primary school, which was one of the group A schools in Zimbabwe.
It was here that I joined a school cricket team when I was in grade 3. Since then, cricket became my passion and I grew up so incredibly fond of this sport. I remember I used to watch every cricket match on TV growing up. When I got to grade 6 I was recognised as one of the best cricket players at school. This got me a scholarship to attend the high school that I went to.
I played for the first team in high school. I started doing voluntary coaching while I was still in high school. After leaving school, I joined Hwange Cricket Club as a player and a volunteer coach. From there I joined Matabeleland Tuskers Cricket Club where I was a bowling all rounder. I made an impact with this team when we won the Logan Cup.
In 2011 I became the head coach at Founder High School in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. In 2012 I moved to Harare where I became the head coach for a well recognised school, Churchill Boys High School. During my term there we won the Petra High School National Tournament trophy.
Due to the economic situation in Zimbabwe, I moved to South Africa in 2013. It wasn't easy at first as I had to do construction work when I first arrived. In 2014 I joined Khayelitsha Cricket Club as a junior team coach. In the same year I also joined Western Province Cricket Association as a Township Development Coach. I coached at Impendulo primary School and managed to produce provincial players who are still in the provincial team.
In 2016 I joined the Gary Kristen Foundation. I specialise in spin bowling but I am comfortable coaching across the disciplines. What motivates me as a cricket coach is socialising with different people and getting to have a positive impact on people. I feel so proud when I see one of my players excelling in life through my coaching. I love cricket because it truly is the gentleman's game. It strengthens my way of thinking about life in general. As a cricket coach in a township, my dream is to produce international players.I want to leave a legacy where my teams, clubs and players will be recognised internationally.