Former Yorkshire cricketer named in Zimbabwe squad
Gary Ballance played for England for four years but has now switched to his birth country
Last updated 4th Jan 2023
Former Yorkshire and England cricketer Gary Ballance has been named in Zimbabwe's latest T20 squad.
The batsman was released from his county contract to allow him to play for his birth country against Ireland.
Last year he apologised for using racist language towards former county team mate Azeem Rafiq.
The left-hander represented Zimbabwe at under-19 level but, after moving to England to complete his schooling, went on to play 23 Tests and 16 ODIs for his adopted nation between 2013 and 2017.
Having long since cleared the mandatory three-year gap necessary to play for a different country, Ballance could now resurrect his international career in three T20s in Harare on January 12, 14 and 15.
His time in England ended regrettably after he admitted to and apologised for using racist language towards former Yorkshire team-mate Azeem Rafiq.
Mental health struggles also impacted Ballance's availability and he has not made a first-team appearance since September 2021, but he looks set to feature next week.
His inclusion in a 15-strong Zimbabwe squad is one of four changes to the group that featured at last year's T20 World Cup in Australia.