Former England batter Gary Ballance is set to be in the opposing dressing room this month after being appointed as a coaching consultant for Zimbabwe’s one-off Test at Trent Bridge.
Zimbabwe-born Ballance moved to the UK as a teenager and after impressing for Yorkshire, he featured in 23 Tests and 16 ODIs for England between 2013 and 2017, helping his adopted nation win the 2015 Ashes.
After being heavily implicated in the Yorkshire racism scandal in 2021, Ballance started afresh with Zimbabwe but made only a further seven international appearances for them before retiring in 2023.
However, the 35-year-old’s vast experience on English soil could work to Zimbabwe’s advantage when they play their first Test against England since 2003 in Nottingham from May 22-25.
“We are thrilled to welcome Gary Ballance to our coaching set-up for this historic tour,” Zimbabwe’s managing director Givemore Makoni said.
“His deep understanding of English conditions, gained over years of playing at the highest level, will be a valuable asset to our team’s tactical preparation.”
Ballance took just 17 innings to reach 1,000 Test runs – only Herbert Sutcliffe and Len Hutton have done so quicker for England, while Harry Brook equalled his former Yorkshire team-mate in 2023.
He made four hundreds in his first 10 Tests but none thereafter and, as his form tailed off, he found himself in and out of the side following his initial run, finishing with 1,498 runs at an average of 37.45.
