Mary-Anne Musonda

Musonda was born in Harare{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/501348.html |title=Mary-Anne Musonda |access-date=12 February 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}} to a Zimbabwean mother and a Zambian father.{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Liam |title=Mary-Anne Musonda – Zimbabwe Women's Cricket Team Captain - Sportageous |url=https://www.sportageous.co/mary-anne-musonda-zimbabwean-cricketer/ |website=www.sportageous.co |access-date=29 April 2022 |language=en-AU |date=12 April 2022 |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813185826/https://www.sportageous.co/mary-anne-musonda-zimbabwean-cricketer/ |url-status=dead }} The youngest in a family of four children, and also the only girl, she began her education at Hermann Gmeiner Primary School in Harare. From 2004, she attended Kwekwe High School at Kwekwe, in the Midlands province, where she passed all of her 10 subjects.{{cite news |last1=Sibanda |first1=Mehluli |title=National women cricketer Musonda speaks on juggling sport, her studies |url=https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/national-women-cricketer-musonda-speaks-on-juggling-sport-her-studies/ |access-date=29 April 2022 |work=The Sunday News (Bulawayo) |date=26 February 2017}}

At high school, Musonda also participated in a lot of sports. Initially, she focused on hockey. However, her hockey coach was a friend of the cricket coach, Craig Majawa. In Form One, he recruited her to play cricket, and became her first cricket coach. She also played basketball, volleyball, and netball.{{cite web |last1=Moonda |first1=Firdose |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/mary-anne-musonda-keeps-the-zimbabwe-flag-flying-as-cricket-creeps-towards-recognition-back-home-1312532 |title=Mary-Anne Musonda keeps the Zimbabwe flag flying as cricket creeps towards recognition back home |date=28 April 2022 |access-date=28 April 2022 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}

Although Zimbabwe Cricket was introducing girls' cricket at schools, Musonda's high school did not then have a girls' team. "I started playing with the boys," she told ESPNcricinfo in 2022, "I played with [them] for a term or two, and really fell in love with cricket. I never went back to hockey."

In school cricket, Musonda was an all-rounder. She started out bowling pace, but later switched to off spin after suffering an injury. Majawa encouraged her to believe she would be "an excellent cricketer", and she modelled her game around that of her favourite player, Charlotte Edwards.

Less than a year after Musonda took up cricket, her school established a girls' team, and some of its members competed in provincial trials. She was included in a probable, but unofficial, 13 for the national women's team squad.

Musonda went on her first tour as part of the national team in 2006.{{cite web |last1=Carne |first1=Warren |title=Zimbabwean women go into camp |url=https://www.espn.com/cricket/story/_/id/22980110/zimbabwean-women-go-camp |website=ESPN.com |access-date=29 April 2022 |language=en |date=24 November 2006}}{{cite web |title=ICC Women's World Cup Qualifying Series Africa Region - Cricket Schedules, Updates, Results |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-women-s-world-cup-qualifying-series-africa-region-2006-07-271870/match-results |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=29 April 2022}} With the support of her mother, she decided to combine playing cricket with the pursuit of her studies. Due to her school commitments, she did not initially participate in all of the national team's activities.

In 2020, Musonda told Women's CricZone, "Growing up I wanted to have a white collar job, and be involved in marketing. But at the end of high school I then felt that I could take cricket seriously."{{cite web |author1=Women's CricZone Staff |title=Before I throw in the towel, I would like to lead the team to a World Cup: Mary-Ann Musonda |url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/before-i-throw-in-the-towel-i-would-like-to-lead-the-team-to-a-world-cup-mary-ann-musonda |website=Women's CricZone |access-date=29 April 2022 |language=en |date=17 July 2020}} She was also driven to conquer both academia and the cricket world.{{cite news |last1=Makanyanga |first1=Don |title=The gift of leadership |url=https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/the-gift-of-leadership |access-date=29 April 2022 |work=The Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe) |date=30 December 2018}}

Following her graduation from high school, Musonda returned to Harare, where she undertook her Advanced Levels at St. John's High School, Emerald Hill. In 2015, she obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree with honours from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. In 2018, she completed a Master of Commerce degree in Development Finance from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town.{{cite web |title= Mary-Anne Musonda |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-anne-musonda-3230b02b/?originalSubdomain=zw |website=linkedin.com |publisher=LinkedIn |access-date=29 April 2022}}

Between finishing her bachelor's degree and starting her master's course, Musonda looked unsuccessfully for a job in Zimbabwe. After finishing the master's degree, she returned to Zimbabwe but decided not to look for work immediately. Instead, she devoted herself to cricket. A year later, that decision paid off when she was appointed captain of the national team.

While studying in South Africa for her bachelor's degree, Musonda played domestic cricket for KwaZulu-Natal Inland.{{cite news |last1=Madzokere |first1=Munyaradzi |title=World Cup dream drives Musonda |url=https://thestandard.newsday.co.zw/2020/07/14/world-cup-dream-drives-musonda/ |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=The Standard (Zimbabwe) |date=14 July 2020}}

In July 2019, she was one of four Zimbabwe women cricketers barred by the International Cricket Council (ICC) from participating in a Global Development Squad due to play in England against Women's Cricket Super League teams, following the ICC's suspension of Zimbabwe Cricket earlier in the month.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27239080/icc-bars-four-zimbabwe-women-cricketers-global-development-squad |title=ICC bars four Zimbabwe women cricketers from Global Development Squad |work=ESPN Cricinfo |date=23 July 2019 |access-date=23 July 2019}}

Very little top level domestic women's cricket was played in Zimbabwe until the 2020–21 season, when Zimbabwe Cricket launched both the Fifty50 Challenge and the Women's T20 Cup. For both of those tournaments, Musonda was recruited by the Rhinos team.{{cite web |title=Women's one-day and T20 tournaments get underway |url=https://zimcricket.org/womens-one-day-and-t20-tournaments-get-underway/ |website=Zimbabwe Cricket |access-date=30 April 2022 |date=25 October 2020}} In the inaugural Women's T20 Cup, she was player of the tournament.{{cite web |title=Eagles crowned inaugural Women's T20 Cup champions |url=https://zimcricket.org/eagles-crowned-inaugural-womens-t20-cup-champions/ |website=Zimbabwe Cricket |access-date=30 April 2022 |date=5 December 2020}}

In April 2023, it was announced that Musonda would play for Scorchers in that season's Women's Super Series in Ireland.{{cite web| url=https://www.cricketireland.ie/news/article/overseas-players-added-to-super-series-squads |title=Overseas players added to Super Series squads |work=Cricket Ireland |date=28 April 2023 |access-date=30 April 2023}}

Musonda's first tour with the national team was in December 2006, when she travelled to Nairobi, Kenya, for the African qualifying leg of the 2009 Women's Cricket World Cup. It was also the first time the national team had ever been involved in a full international competition.{{cite web |last1=Brickhill |first1=Liam |title='We're a serious cricket team' |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/liam-brickhill-positive-vibes-for-women-s-game-in-zimbabwe-945073 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=29 April 2022 |date=28 November 2015}} Zimbabwe won that qualifying leg, and Musondo enjoyed the experience, but did not play in any of the team's three matches.{{cite web |last1=Upendran |first1=Ananya |title=Dreams on hold, Zimbabwe look to Musonda for hope |url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/dreams-on-hold-zimbabwe-look-to-musonda-for-hope |website=Women's CricZone |access-date=29 April 2022 |language=en |date=5 August 2019}} School commitments prevented her from attending the ensuing World Cup Qualifier in South Africa in February 2008.

In 2011, Musonda 'returned' to the national team. However, she was not selected for the squad that competed in the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh in November 2011.{{cite web |title=Squads named for Women's WC Qualifiers |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/women-s-news-squads-named-for-women-s-wc-qualifiers-537901 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=30 April 2022 |date=25 October 2011}} At the inaugural ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier, held in Dublin, Ireland, in July and August 2013, she played in the Shield semi-final against Japan,{{cite news |title=Full Scorecard of Japan Wmn vs Zim Women first Shield Semi-Final 2013 - Score Report |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-women-s-world-twenty20-qualifier-2013-640907/japan-women-vs-zimbabwe-women-1st-shield-semi-final-640949/full-scorecard |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=ESPNcricinfo}} and the Shield final against Thailand.{{cite news |title=Full Scorecard of Zim Women vs Thai Women Shield Final 2013 - Score Report |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-women-s-world-twenty20-qualifier-2013-640907/thailand-women-vs-zimbabwe-women-shield-final-640957/full-scorecard |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=ESPNcricinfo}} In December 2014, she was part of Zimbabwe's squad for the ICC Africa Women's Trophy played in Benoni, South Africa, which Zimbabwe won.{{cite news |last1=Dapira |first1=Ngoni |title=Mountaineers' Mugeri captains Zim's squad |url=https://www.manicapost.co.zw/mountaineers-mugeri-captains-zims-squad/ |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=The Manica Post |date=12 December 2014}} During the ensuing ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier, in Bangkok, Thailand, in November and December 2015, she played in all four of Zimbabwe's matches.{{cite web |title=ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier, 2015/16 Cricket Team Records & Stats |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?class=16;id=10171;type=tournament |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=30 April 2022}}

Musonda had a more prominent role in the next Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in February 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1073402.html |title=ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, 2nd Match, Group A: Ireland Women v Zimbabwe Women at Colombo (MCA), Feb 7, 2017 |access-date=12 February 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}} She was the highest run-scorer for Zimbabwe, with 113 runs.{{Cite web|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?class=15;id=11659;type=tournament |title=Records: ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, 2016/17: Most runs |access-date=17 February 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}

The following year, 2018, was a disappointing one for the national team, which narrowly missed out on qualifying for that year's ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier.{{cite web |title=Mary-Anne Musonda to lead Zimbabwe Women against Namibia |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/948982 |website=International Cricket Council |access-date=30 April 2022 |language=en |date=20 December 2018}} In December 2018, Musonda, who had not participated in the Africa qualifiers in which Zimbabwe had been eliminated by Uganda from the World Cup, was appointed as the captain of the team, replacing Chipo Mugeri.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/948982 |title=Mary-Anne Musonda to lead Zimbabwe Women against Namibia |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=20 December 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newzimbabwe.com/musonda-new-zimbabwe-womens-cricket-team-captain/ |title=Musonda new Zimbabwe women's cricket team captain |work=New Zimbabwe |date=20 December 2018 |access-date=20 December 2018}} She considers the highlight of captaincy to be continuously finding ways of making adequate decisions. Her initial objective was to lead the team to its maiden World Cup tournament.{{cite news |last1=Chikamhi |first1=Eddie |title=Musonda appointed team captain |url=https://www.herald.co.zw/musonda-appointed-team-captain/ |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=The Herald (Zimbabwe) |date=24 December 2018}}

On 5 January 2019, the month after her appointment, Musonda made her Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) debut for Zimbabwe against Namibia,{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1171099.html |title=1st T20I, Zimbabwe Women tour of Namibia at Walvis Bay, Jan 5 2019 |access-date=9 January 2019 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}} at the start of a five-match T20I tour of Namibia, which Zimbabwe won 5–0.{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe Women tour of Namibia, ZIM WOMEN in NAMIBIA 2018/19 score, Match schedules, fixtures, points table, results, news |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/zim-women-in-namibia-2018-19-1171097 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=30 April 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Sibanda |first1=Mehluli |title=Lady Chevrons buzzing after white wash |url=https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/lady-chevrons-buzzing-after-white-wash/ |access-date=2 May 2022 |work=The Sunday News (Bulawayo) |date=13 January 2019}} Musonda also topped the overall batting table for that tour, with an aggregate of 140 at an average of 70.{{cite web |title=Zimbabwe Women in Namibia T20I Series, 2018/19 Cricket Team Records & Stats |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=12830;type=series |website=Cricinfo |access-date=30 April 2022}} Before returning home, the team competed against Kenya and Uganda in the Victoria Tri-Series in Kampala, Uganda, and also won that tournament.

Musonda was then to have led the team on a tour of Ireland and the Netherlands in July 2019, but that tour was cancelled at the last minute after the ICC moved to freeze all funding to Zimbabwe. Soon afterwards, the ICC barred Zimbabwe from all ICC events, including the ICC Women's World Twenty20 Qualifier in Scotland in August 2019, for which the national team had already qualified.{{cite web |last1=Keshav |first1=Karunya |date=4 August 2019 |title=Zimbabwe Women's Emotional Plea: 'Cricket Mustn't Die' {{!}} Wisden Cricket |url=https://www.wisden.com/cricket-features/zimbabwe-women-cricket-fight |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=Wisden}} Musonda considers Zimbabwe's exclusion from that tournament to be the worst moment of her career; the ICC ban on Zimbabwe was lifted after only three months, but soon afterwards the COVID-19 pandemic began. In February 2021, Musonda was named as the captain of Zimbabwe's squad for its home 50-over and T20I series against Pakistan, which were scheduled as the national team's first matches since the onset of the pandemic.{{cite web |title=Musonda excited to be back in action |url=https://nehandaradio.com/2021/02/09/musonda-excited-to-be-back-in-action/ |website=Nehanda Radio |access-date=30 April 2022 |date=9 February 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/zimbabwe-announce-15-member-squad-for-pakistan-series |title=Zimbabwe announce 15-member squad for Pakistan series |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=6 February 2021}} However, that tour was ended abruptly after only one match, because of flight restrictions associated with the pandemic.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/zim-women-vs-pak-w-2021-22-covid-19-pakistan-women-tour-of-zimbabwe-ends-abruptly-because-of-flight-restrictions-1251359 |title=Pakistan women tour of Zimbabwe ends abruptly because of flight restrictions |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=11 February 2021}}

In April 2021, the ICC gave Zimbabwe Women's One Day International (WODI) status. In October 2021, Musonda was named as the captain of Zimbabwe's WODI squad for their four-match series against Ireland.{{Cite tweet |user=zimbabwe_women |number=1445032471523995657 |title=Zimbabwe team to play Ireland in the ODI series}} The fixtures were Zimbabwe's first WODI matches gaining WODI status.{{cite web|url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/zimbabwe-head-coach-adam-chifo-excited-ahead-of-teams-maiden-odi |title=Zimbabwe head coach Adam Chifo excited ahead of team's maiden ODI |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=4 October 2021}} Musonda made her WODI debut on 5 October 2021, against Ireland.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1281417.html |title=1st ODI, Harare, Oct 5 2021, Ireland Women tour of Zimbabwe |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=5 October 2021}} Zimbabwe won the match by four wickets,{{cite web|url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/musonda-leads-zimbabwe-to-victory-on-their-odi-debut |title=Marey-Anne Musonda leads Zimbabwe to victory on their ODI debut |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=5 October 2021}} with Musonda scoring an unbeaten century,{{cite web|url=https://www.cricketireland.ie/news/article/zimbabwe-women-claim-first-odi-win-despite-laura-delany-heroics-with-the-ba |title=Zimbabwe Women claim first ODI win despite Laura Delany heroics with the bat |work=Cricket Ireland |access-date=5 October 2021}} and sharing in three half-century stands. She was only the sixth woman to score a century on ODI debut, the first ever to do so while captaining her team,{{cite web |title=Batting records {{!}} Women's One-Day Internationals {{!}} Cricinfo Statsguru |url=https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=9;debut_or_last=1;filter=advanced;orderby=start;runsmin1=100;runsval1=runs;template=results;type=batting;view=innings |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=29 April 2022}} and the first to score any international century for Zimbabwe.{{cite news |last1=Zimunya |first1=Richard |title=Musonda: It feels unreal |url=https://www.hmetro.co.zw/musonda-it-feels-unreal/ |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=H-Metro |date=7 October 2021}}

In November 2021, Musonda was named as the captain of Zimbabwe's team for the 2021 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/2354918 |title=Squads confirmed for ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021 |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=16 November 2021}} Zimbabwe lost two of its first three matches in the tournament, and defeated the United States by only one wicket.{{cite news |title=ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021/22 Table, Matches, win, loss, points for ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/icc-women-s-cricket-world-cup-qualifier-2021-22-1286892/points-table-standings |access-date=29 April 2022 |work=ESPNcricinfo}} The rest of the tournament was then cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In April 2022, Musonda again led her team in the Capricorn Women's Tri-Series in Windhoek, Namibia, except in one of its matches against Uganda, when she was rested and Josephine Nkomo stood in for her.{{cite news |last1=Chingoma |first1=Grace |title=Teenager Ndlovu hits maiden half ton in Lady Chevrons win |url=https://www.herald.co.zw/teenager-ndlovu-hits-maiden-half-ton-in-lady-chevrons-win/ |access-date=30 April 2022 |work=The Herald (Zimbabwe) |date=25 April 2022}} After losing its first match to Namibia by seven wickets, Zimbabwe won all five of its remaining matches, including the final, also against Namibia, and also by seven wickets.{{cite web |title=Capricorn Women's Tri-Series 2022 Table, Matches, win, loss, points for Capricorn Women's Tri-Series |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/capricorn-women-s-tri-series-2022-1310881/points-table-standings |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=30 April 2022}} During one of Zimbabwe's matches in the series, against Uganda, Musonda was, unusually, given out for obstructing the field.{{cite web|url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/zimbabwe-register-an-emphatic-win-over-uganda-by-22-runs |title=Zimbabwe register an emphatic win over Uganda in the Capricorn Tri-series |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=22 April 2022}} She had defended a ball from Janet Mbabazi which then rebounded towards her stumps, then gently hit the ball back to Mbabazi while remaining in her crease at all times.{{cite news|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkn2aTKppfw|title=Not a usual dismissal / Capricorn Tri-Nation Series / Match 4|date=22 April 2022 |publisher=Women's CricZone|via=YouTube|access-date=22 April 2022}}

Musonda has also played basketball for the Vixens in the Harare Basketball League.

Musonda is interested in development issues, specifically for African girls and women. She is also involved in literacy and numeracy interventions for children in junior schools in remote areas of Zimbabwe. Her post-retirement plan is to promote women's cricket by opening an all-sports academy specifically for females, and primarily for cricket.

A Christian, Musonda has been a member of the Life and Liberty Churches International since 2015. Previously, she was a congregant at a Methodist Church from childhood.

• List of Zimbabwe women Twenty20 International cricketers

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Category:1991 births

Category:Living people

Category:Cricketers from Harare

Category:Zimbabwean women cricketers

Category:Zimbabwe women One Day International cricketers

Category:Zimbabwe women Twenty20 International cricketers

Category:KwaZulu-Natal Inland women cricketers

Category:Rhinos women cricketers

Category:Scorchers (women's cricket) cricketers

Category:Zimbabwean people of Zambian descent

Category:Cricketers at the 2023 African Games

Category:African Games gold medalists in cricket

Category:African Games gold medalists for Zimbabwe

Category:21st-century South African sportswomen