THE cricket community is mourning the loss of Sekuru Chirandu, the beloved groundsman of Takashinga Cricket Club.

Chirandu was a father figure and mentor to many and his contributions to the club and the sport will be deeply missed.

The club will continue to honour his memory and support his family even after his passing, ensuring that his legacy lives on.

Chirandu’s journey with Takashinga Cricket Club began over 25 years ago when he joined as one of the first groundsmen. He witnessed the transformation of the club’s grounds from a soccer field to a cricket oval, showcasing his dedication and patience.

Chirandu evolved from groundsman to a cherished member of the Takashinga family, imparting wisdom to generations of players.

Givemore Makoni, a founding member of the club and the current Managing Director of Zimbabwe Cricket, praised Chirandu for his commitment, describing him as a humble and honest man who played a crucial role in shaping the club’s ethos and moulding young players with exceptional patience.

“Chirandu was very instrumental in the establishment of Takashinga Cricket ground… He saw that ground turn from a football pitch into a cricket oval… He became a father figure to the whole Takashinga family… It is a huge loss to the Takashinga family. It is a huge loss to the cricketing family, and he will be missed by many if not all,” Makoni said.

Takashinga Cricket Club had planned a retirement package for Chirandu’s outstanding service to ensure his well-being.

“We realised that we needed to do something in terms of giving him a retirement package. We had done a nice, beautiful house for him and his family. We had also agreed to buy him a scotch cart. We had agreed that Chirandu would work for Takashinga until such a time he says he has had enough and wants to go home and rest. So, all those plans having about 50% of them achieved we were looking forward to giving him a huge retirement package and we continue to finish the work that we started.”

Chamu Chibhabha, the captain of Takashinga’s first team, expressed his sorrow at missing Chirandu’s farewell due to cricket commitments.

“The passing of Chirandu came as a shock to us…he played a huge part in us getting to where we are playing international cricket, playing first class, travelling around the world because there’s never a day you would go to Takashinga and not find facilities to use,” said Chibhabha.

Steve Mangongo, another founding member of Takashinga, lamented the loss of a club pillar.

“It’s one pillar of Takashinga cricket, which has fallen…befittingly, Chirandu left the cricket community doing what he did best, thus being the custodian of the first black cricket-run facility,” Mangongo said.

As Takashinga Cricket Club mourns the passing of Sekuru Chirandu, his legacy as a mentor, father figure, and custodian of the sport will forever be cherished.