Back trouble restricted Muzarabani’s playing time with Northants, but the injury did not affect the learning process.
On the field, Ben Sanderson showed him how to bowl a full length in English conditions. Off the field, he formed a tight bond with Saif Zaib, Jack White and Ben Curran, the latter now a Zimbabwe team-mate.
Even when he could not play for Northants, the county still put Muzarabani to work.
“When I was injured I was touring the sponsorship boxes at Northampton,” he says. “I’d go in there and start conversations with fans. It really helped me to communicate, how to carry myself as a professional – outside cricket, just being a good human being.”
Brexit ended the Kolpak era and Muzarabani returned to the plan to resume his international career. He was back in Zimbabwe colours in late 2020, a “better bowler” for his sojourn in England.
Now his career is really gathering pace. A growing reputation as a white-ball operator has earned Muzarabani an Indian Premier League deal with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, under coach and compatriot Andy Flower. Muzarabani will head for India straight after the Test in Nottingham.
The whip in Muzarabani’s action has led to comparisons with South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada. With his height and skid, there may be more similarities with former England pace bowler Steven Finn.
Zimbabwe’s chequered past means there are few very meaningful statistics to overhaul, although Muzarabani has the chance to carve his niche. This year no team play more than Zimbabwe’s 11 Tests, meaning he can build from his current 51 wickets towards becoming only the second bowler from the country to reach 100.
The other to top three figures, external is Heath Streak, his 216 unlikely to be overhauled. Even Streak cannot match Muzarabani’s average of 21.84, by far the lowest of any Zimbabwe bowler to have sent down at least 60 overs in Test cricket.
Zimbabwe have not played a Test against England since 2003.
Before then some of the country’s most famous cricketing moments came against the English: Eddo Brandes at the 1992 World Cup, England coach David Lloyd proclaiming “we flipping murdered ’em” in the first drawn Test with the scores level in Bulawayo in 1996.
And 2025?
“England are one of the best teams in the world,” says Muzarabani. “We believe in ourselves. We believe can win. We just have bring our ‘A’ game to beat these guys.”
