John Ndlovu
A dark cloud covered the Zimbabwe cricket family on Thursday morning as the National Cricket board announced the passing on of its unsung hero Shepherd Makunura who breathed his last in the early hours of Thursday at a private hospital in Harare.
The heartbreaking news came through a written statement on the Cricket board’s social media account Facebook.
“It is with great sorrow and heavy hearts that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) announces the death of Shepherd Tichaendepi Makunura at the age of 46.” Read the statement.
The former Zimbabwe Senior Men’s Cricket Team fielding coach succumbed to short illness.
Makunura was born on the 23rd of October 1976 and began his cricket journey in the late 1980s at Chengu Primary school in Highfield and was awarded a scholarship which took him to Prince Edward High School where he attended Gus secondary education.
The late former ZC fielding coach who was a right hand baller’s emergence from the Zimbabwe Cricket’s grassroot programme for high density suburbs was exceptional as it accorded him the chance to play in Zimbabwe U14 and U15 sides something which was utopian.
Makunura also featured for Mashonaland A side in 200/2002 season where in his debut games scored a whooping 103 runs in three matches.
His playing stint was cut short by Archilies tendon rupture in 2007 which forced him to turn into coaching as he managed to coach Zimbabwe’s Under 14 and U19 sides.
He was then as the Zimbabwe A cricket side coach where he coached the later in the Canada and Kenya tours in 2018, and also took the Africa Cup tournament in South Africa.
The late former national cricket team wizard was then promoted to the Senior Men’s Cricket Team fielding coach the position he held till the day he breathed his last .
He also made history on the domestic scene by becoming the first coach in Zimbabwe to bag three Logan Cup tittles with Mountaineers from 2017-2019 and also claimed the prestigious silverware with Rocks.
Makunura is survived by his wife Sinikiwe Mpofu who is also in the national cricket fold as the Women’s National Cricket Team Assistant coach and two children.
The Zimbabwe Cricket Director Givemore Makoni extended his condolences to the Makunura family while also explaining how his untimely death robbed the cricket board and the nation at large of a precious soul in a statement.
“On behalf of Zimbabwe Cricket, our deepest sympathies are with his family, colleagues and friends as they come to terms with losing such and affable and wonderful man.”
“We have lost one of our very best coaches, an unsung hero of our game who has been instrumental in the unearthing and nurturing of many of Zimbabwe’s talented players.”
“We are grateful for his immense contributions to the sport in Zimbabwe and beyond and the void that he has left will be hard to fill.”
“Our thoughts are with Sinikiwe, his family and friends at this devastatingly sad time.”Makoni added.