CRICKET: Bay gains from exile

HAMISH BIDWELL
It should have been the happiest time of Sean Davies' life. Having spent his entire life striving to play for Zimbabwe, the then 23-year old had been picked to tour New Zealand, before heading on to the World Cup in India and Pakistan.
Instead of being the start of a successful and enjoyable international career, 1996 became his annus horribilis and led to eventual exile from his homeland. He's played and coached in the United Kingdom since 1999 but, as of his arrival with girlfriend Rachel Thomas three weeks ago, will be plying his trade in Taradale during the English winter. SportToday caught up with Davies, to talk about his rise to the international ranks, 1996, what he's done since and his plans to, ultimately, settle in New Zealand.
"I've been playing since I was three and the first representative side I ever got into was the Zimbabwe under-15 team," said Davies.
"Then I made the under-18s when I was 16 and that was a fantastic experience because, in those days, we did tours. We toured England, Australia and I was lucky enough to be part of a great era of cricketers.
"We had Alastair Campbell, Heath Streak, Craig Wishart, Stuart Carlisle all playing at the same time I was. I played my first first-class match at the age of 17, against a touring Worcestershire side. I was opening the bowling and I got five wickets in my very first first-class game. "Things didn't go particularly well over the next year or two. I got a knee injury that got progressively worse and put an end to my bowling career by the age of 20-21. I decided that I had to get in the Zimbabwe side as a batsman, which I duly did in 1996.
"It took focus and desire, but that was all I'd ever wanted to do and all I'd ever aspired to since I was a youngster. For me, failure wasn't an option and, come hell or high water, I was going to get there.
"It meant I had to move away from my club, where I'd played with the Flower brothers (Andy and Grant) and go to another one where I could get an opportunity. It was hard, but it paid off when I was fortunate to tour New Zealand and then selected in the World Cup squad. I didn't know it then, but it would be the last time I would play for Zimbabwe."
The highlight of the New Zealand leg of things, was Zimbabwe's victory in the inaugural day-night One-Day International (ODI) to be played in this country. Staged at McLean Park, Davies made 45, his highest score in four ODIs, as the visitors won by 21 runs.
So where did it all go wrong?
"I'd say that I was probably my own worst enemy, in that I didn't conform to a lot of beliefs, which meant that I was a little disappointed and disillusioned with Zimbabwean cricket at the time I walked away," he said.
"There were just a lot of old-school ideologies and I had a miserable time, personally, on that tour. I fell out with one or two people and, through my own stubbornness, never quite patched things up.
"I'm not one of these people who will grovel and beg and, in retrospect, it led to a kind of shattered dream, in a sense. I had this ideology that when you played cricket for your country, everyone would get on well and it would just be this ultimate team.
"But there were one or two difficult individuals in amongst it and it kind of ruined it for me. Then the old land grab started and things in Zimbabwe were on the decline, so the writing was on the wall.
"I regret not playing a lot more, because I definitely felt I had it in me to pursue an international career and to fight for it. But, when I think of what I've achieved since then and some of the youngsters I've coached in England, who are now breaking into county sides, I don't regret it."
Employed as a pro at Surrey League side Wimbledon, Davies got into coaching there, as well as at the nearby King's College and now is seeking to establish his own coaching business. His plans for Hawke's Bay are similar and with "four or five good seasons left in me" he hopes to do well for Taradale in the local club competition.
But what about going back to his real home? Does he ever see a day when that can happen?
"If I'm honest, I can't see it, no," he said.
"There are a lot of people who are overseas and in a similar position to what I am, that just have Africa in their veins and all they live for is the lifestyle.
"But every time I've been back, the place has just fallen so far behind anything I could have ever dreamt of. It's just really disappointing to see how badly the country has slipped."