From Barefoot Dreams in Harare to Bringing Down Australia: The Rise of Blessing Muzarabani

The first thing people notice about Blessing Muzarabani is his height — six feet eight inches. The next thing, if you look a little deeper, is the determination that has shaped his journey.

When former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu first saw Muzarabani as a young boy at Takashinga Cricket Club in Harare’s Highfield suburb, he saw more than just a tall kid.

He saw hunger — not only the kind that comes from growing up with little money, but a deeper hunger to change one’s life.

Muzarabani grew up in one of Harare’s poorest neighborhoods. Like many children there, he often went without proper meals. But what he wanted most was not food — it was cricket.

He was only seven when he followed his cousin Taurai to Takashinga and bowled his first ball. Something felt right.

He didn’t own cricket shoes. In fact, for a long time, he played barefoot on hot, hard surfaces while other children arrived with full kits and parents dropping them off in cars.

In an earlier interview, Muzarabani admitted how difficult it was to mix with children from wealthier families. Seeing their expensive shoes and equipment hurt, but he refused to let it stop him.

He focused on bowling — on doing what he loved. Cricket was not about comfort or privilege. It was about passion.

At first, Taibu nearly overlooked him. The boy was quiet and shy. But Taibu kept watching. He sensed that whatever struggles Muzarabani had faced, he never wanted to return to that life again.

By the age of 15, Muzarabani had shot up to his full height. With that height came real pace and bounce.

The skinny kid from Highfield — a suburb that had already produced cricketers like Elton Chigumbura — was now frightening batters.

In 2018, during the ODI World Cup Qualifiers in Harare, Zimbabwe dreamed of making it to the World Cup.

Muzarabani played a key role, taking four wickets against Afghanistan and delivering crucial breakthroughs in other matches.

But Zimbabwe narrowly missed qualification, losing by just three runs in a decisive game against the UAE. It was heartbreaking.

Soon after, Zimbabwe Cricket faced financial problems. Players’ salaries were delayed. In August 2018, Muzarabani signed a Kolpak deal with Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in England.

Many fans criticised him for leaving. But for someone who had grown up without basic equipment, financial security mattered.

He later explained that he could not afford to waste such an opportunity. Cricket had lifted him from poverty; this decision was about survival, not disloyalty.

His early days in England were not easy. A back injury disrupted his first season. But he learned valuable lessons.

With guidance from players like Jason Holder, he began to understand how to use his height properly — how to generate pace, extract bounce, and mix up his deliveries with yorkers and slower balls.

When Brexit ended Kolpak deals in 2020, Muzarabani returned to Zimbabwe a more skilled and confident bowler. He had developed new variations and a stronger mindset.

That growth was visible recently in Sri Lanka, where he troubled Australia with a sharp pace and steep bounce.

He dismissed key players, including Josh Inglis and Tim David, with aggressive short balls, then returned later to remove Matt Renshaw with a clever slower delivery and uproot Adam Zampa’s leg stump.

It was a match-winning spell.

For Muzarabani, pressure feels different. When you have bowled barefoot under the African sun, facing world-class batters does not seem overwhelming.

Years ago at Takashinga, Taibu saw a hungry boy determined to escape hardship. On a humid afternoon in Sri Lanka, the world saw what that hunger had become — a fast bowler impossible to ignore.

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