Don Makanyanga, Zimpapers Sports Hub SIX months after launching the Girls Play Cricket Academy, Zimbabwe Women’s Cricket captain Mary-Anne Musonda Nhira, has expressed satisfaction with the progress made in breaking barriers to girls’ inclusion in cricket. Launched last December at St John’s Emerald Hill High School, the academy aims to introduce girls to cricket from a young age. The national team captain revealed that plans are now underway, to establish a girls’ school cricket league, following the successful training of female teachers in coaching. “It has been a good journey since we launched the Girls Play Cricket Academy late last year. So far, we have trained female teachers, and we are now in the process of laying the foundation for our first girls’ school league. I am happy with the progress thus far,” said Musonda. Motivated by the challenges she faced in her own career, the Girls Play Cricket Academy seeks to make it easier for young players to pursue cricket professionally in the future. “Coming from a cricket background has definitely helped. I understand the game, the structures and the challenges —especially for girls. My experience with the national team opened my eyes to how few girls get the same chances I did. “That inspired me to create a platform where more girls can access cricket, grow in it, and maybe even dream of playing for Zimbabwe one day. Our aim is to keep growing the game and sparking interest in cricket, among girls across different communities, with the main goal being to give girls the opportunity to play cricket — starting from a tender age,” said Musonda. The national team captain added that the GPCA project seeks to bridge the gap between boys and girls in cricket. “Locally, cricket structures are largely designed for boys, and without intentional inclusion, girls are often left out. This creates barriers to their participation. This project is about breaking those barriers. We’re creating access for girls who want to be involved in cricket — whether they see it as a career path or simply want to play for fun. We welcome and support both,” she said. As preparations continue to expand the initiative nationwide, Musonda is appealing for partners to help ensure widespread inclusion of the girl child. “Community engagement has been encouraging and we are hosting a coaching clinic in August that will involve teenage girls from local communities. But there’s still a lot of work to be done, especially since the project is still in its early stages. “The vision is clear, but to fully bring it to life, we need more stakeholders to come on board and help resource the project so it can reach its full potential,” said Musonda.