James McMaster is an Australian pastor and businessman who loves cricket and has also developed a love for Zimbabwe, although he has never visited the country. Until now, that is. James is currently visiting Zimbabwe, the first time he has actually left the shores of Australia in his life, and was willing to give his views to Zimbabwe Cricket Online.

James lives in Sydney, pastoring a church there and running a fruit and vegetable business two days a week. “I am here in Zimbabwe to support a street ministry in Chiredzi,” he says. “And also to try and get involved in supporting the cricket infrastructure in the country.”

James started developing an interest in Zimbabwe cricket when they reached Test status in 1992, and this grew as he was able to get on to the internet more often about four or five years ago and follow the side more closely.

“Through a series of contacts in Australia in the church, we got involved with Pastor Ranger Moyo in Chiredzi who is involved with the street kids there, so this gave us a couple of avenues into the country,” he says. “Ranger’s ministry has been going for about four years now, and about a year ago we got connected with him and a good partnership has developed between my church in Australia and their ministry. So now I’m helping to direct further work with the street kids.

“Basically we are trying to get the kids off the streets, get them fed, sheltered and also start income-generating projects for them through educating them and giving them a start through certain micro-business activities. At the moment they are in school, learning such crafts as welding and boiler-making, and some of them are going on to higher educational courses.”

Given that he had never been to Zimbabwe before, how did the reality of arriving in Zimbabwe correspond with his preconceived notions? “I think the most shocking thing about Zimbabwe for me is that there hasn’t been more culture shock!” he says. “The only kind of news we get about Zimbabwe in Australia is generally unhappy news, and my friends and family were apprehensive when we were contemplating the trip. But so far it’s been quite good; I’m really enjoying myself and the main culture shock is that I’ve fitted in quite okay!

“It was a bit of a surprise to find everywhere so apparently peaceful. I have been a bit apprehensive in Harare at times, but that has been my own feeling; there has been no drama. In Chiredzi it has been wonderful. When I first got there I saw a few white women walking around, doing their business in the town by themselves, quite relaxed, and that put me at ease, because I thought, “If they’re okay, I shouldn’t be too badly off! Most people in the township there are wonderful and happy to see you smiling, keen to get to know you. It’s been wonderful and I’ve been made very welcome.”

So where does the cricket come in? “Obviously the main purpose of the visit was our work with the ministry,” James says. “But I was really hoping as a personal desire to help with cricket development in the country. Cricket is really a great passion of mine, and the opportunity has come about where King Cricket Club in Chiredzi have just joined the South Zone of the national league. I’ve been able to sponsor them in setting them up with some kit and we will be discussing some ongoing sponsorship when I get back to Australia. I’ll be going to watch them in Masvingo, where they’ll be playing - I’d love to get on the team if I could but I’m not sure about that!” He laughs. “But I’ll be going to their net sessions each week and helping there.”

James’s first knowledge about Zimbabwe cricket came through the international side, and he was kind enough to praise the Zimbabwe website for giving him the most information about the team. “I’ve got the impression with the newer cricketing nations that the view from home supporters is so often disappointment that they did not make a better effort on the field,” he says. “But looking back over history, it usually takes a new Test nation at least ten years to get on its feet in terms of performance. If you look at Sri Lanka’s example, I think they had been in Test cricket for about ten years before Zimbabwe came in. They were still real strugglers then, but I’m really confident that in another ten years, with improved development in Zimbabwe, they will be up the ladder a bit.

“Cricket is a game where I think experience counts for an awful lot, and I think in Zimbabwe it takes time in administration and on the field in terms of building up that experience. I’m quite hopeful that in ten years or so they’ll be putting in some top-quality efforts and hopefully beating Australia once or twice!”

That sounds as if he likes the idea! So who does he support in a match between Zimbabwe and Australia? “I usually go for the tie!” he laughs. “I was very disappointed last year when Zimbabwe got beaten by one run, especially as there was a short run called by an evil umpire in Australia who seemed to have something against Zimbabwe! I do find it very difficult, actually. I do support Australia first, but I’m probably pretty equal now; I love the underdog and Zimbabwe are that at the moment.

“But I’m certainly very passionate about Zimbabwe when they’re playing anyone else; I just have trouble when they’re playing each other and I don’t know what to do! I try to take a win-win situation out of it: if Australia win that’s good, and if Zimbabwe win that’s fantastic - so I just enjoy the cricket!”

Who are his favourite Zimbabwean players? “When I first supported them, I think Guy Whittall was my favourite; I enjoy an all-rounder. But I like to see them all do well; I’ve left that kind of favouritism behind a bit. Obviously Andy Flower is impressive, and he’s only just now beginning to get the recognition he deserves around the world for his performances. My big hope at the moment is Ray Price; my hope is that he has the potential to be a wicket-taking bowler. As a finger-spinner he’s got the opportunity within games to have a fair amount of practice and it just looks like he has the potential to influence a game. So I’m really hopeful about his development in the next few years.

“There are always calls for various people’s heads when the team isn’t performing well, but I think the core of experienced players should be stuck with. Experience is hard to get in international cricket, and I think chopping and changing causes more problems than it solves.

“I think Andy Flower and the role he plays in the Zimbabwean team reminds me a lot of Allan Border and the Australian team of the eighties, when I was growing up - an average above 50 and the one everyone is counting on all the time. At that time Australia was getting excellent crowds for Australia-West Indies games, so the West Indies seemed to be in Australia almost every year, playing one-dayers or Tests, and Australia used to get hammered! There was only Allan Border who stood out, and took him quite a lot of time to get recognized, in the same way that it took Andy Flower time to get appreciated and applauded for his greatness in the game.

“So Andy and the Zimbabwean team remind me of Australia in those days, a team where you have one batsman of stand-up quality and the rest who try hard but struggle a bit. With Andy at least there’s a basis on which the others can gain experience and hope to build on those performances in coming years. Certainly that’s what Allan Border provided for Australia in those hard years.

“The only difference is that Allan Border was able to impart that experience through his captaincy as well, and that’s the only disappointment, that Andy has not been able to do that so regularly. Perhaps the most upsetting thing in following Zimbabwe has been all the captaincy problems over the last couple of years. But all these troubles are part of the nation and the ZCU is gaining experience and will be able to move on from that in the future.

“England and Australia have been playing Test cricket for 125 years, and that is a lot of administrative and playing know-how that is just assumed knowledge for both young players and administrators. It takes a lot of time to build that up.

“I just enjoy watching Zimbabwe play, and I enjoy any improvement in the team. My expectations are never too high, but I always hope!”

It is always good to hear of support for Zimbabwe and Zimbabwean cricket from other lands, and especially when people like James become actively involved. The thanks of Zimbabwean cricket followers and, in fact, all Zimbabweans should go to him and others like him who take such an interest and then put this into practice. We wish him a great time during the rest of his visit, and a safe journey home in mid-October.