By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Mary-Anne Musonda-Nhira Instagram.
Zimbabwe Women’s cricket captain Mary-Anne Musonda has announced her retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing to a close a stellar career.
The 34-year-old, who last represented the national team at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Qualifier two years ago, explained the line of reasoning that led to her decision.
“From the outside it might seem like there’s still more left in the tank – and, in many ways, there is,” Musonda was quoted in a statement released by Zimbabwe Cricket.
“But this decision wasn’t only about performance or ability. It was a combination of timing, perspective and physical reality.”
“At 34, I became more aware that it wasn’t just about whether I could keep playing, but whether it was sustainable to keep asking my body to operate at that level over and over again.”
“My role in developing the women’s game, mentoring younger players and contributing to cricket in Zimbabwe in a broader sense has become just as important to me as playing . . . it became clearer that this is the right moment to step aside from international cricket,” she added.
Musonda amassed a total of 1054 T20I and 336 ODI runs. This included her ODI century against Ireland in 2021, which marked the first-ever triple digit score for Zimbabwe Women in ODIs.