Former Zimbabwe batsman Kevin Curran dies aged 53
Curran coached the national team from August 2005 to September 2007; and at the time of his death was coach of the Mash Eagles team.
Kevin Curran, who played for Zimbabwe in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups, passed away after collapsing while jogging in Mutare today. The exact cause of the 53-year-old Curran's death is yet to be determined.
Curran coached the national team from August 2005 to September 2007; and at the time of his death was coach of the Mash Eagles team and was in Mutare preparing for their T20 fixtures against Mountaineers on Wednesday and Thursday. Those games have now been postponed.
Zimbabwe Cricket's (ZC) managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa was quoted in a ZC statement as saying: "We are still in shock, Kevin was the epitome of health and we have yet to make sense of this tragic loss." He added Curran's past and continued contribution to the game of cricket is unquestionable and "and dates as far back as his playing days up until the phenomenal work he had been doing at Mash Eagles."
Mash Eagles chief executive officer Vimbai Mapukute said Curran was passionate about the game and had put his heart and soul into developing the franchise. "He had great plans for our high performance gym and other facilities... his passing will leave a huge void at Mash Eagles and I feel that I have not only lost a key business ally but a friend as well."
Curran, who played 11 ODIs, made his debut in that historic match when Zimbabwe beat Australia by 13 runs at Trent Bridge in the 1983 World Cup. He scored 287 runs, including two half-centuries; and took nine wickets with his right-arm fast-medium bowling. By the time Zimbabwe gained Test status, he had almost completed his 10-year qualification for English residency and decided to bid adieu to his international career.
Curran was one of the more prolific international batsmen in county cricket, scoring 1000 runs in a season five times. Despite his success for Gloucestershire, the county controversially declined to renew his contract at the end of 1990. Curran moved to Northamptonshire and he represented the county until his retirement at the end of 1999.
In his 324-match first-class career, Curran scored 15740 runs at an average of 36.86 and took 605 wickets. Curran also scored 9194 runs and took 364 wickets in his 407-match List A career.