Shepherd Makunura
| Shepherd Makunura | |
|---|---|
| Died | December 15, 2022 (aged 46) |
| Spouse(s) | Sinikiwe Mpofu |
Shepherd Tichaendepi Makunura was a Zimbabwean cricket player and coach. He was married to Sinikiwe Mpofu a former cricketer and Zimbabwe Senior Women’s National Team Assistant Coach.
Personal Details
Makunura was born in Salisbury (now Harare) on 23 October 1976. He died on 15 December 2022 aged 46 years.[1]
He was married to former cricketer and Zimbabwe Senior Women’s National Team Assistant Coach Sinikiwe Mpofu, who died on 7 January 2023.
Education
Makunura did his primary education at Chengu Primary School in Highfield and then attended Prince Edward High School on a scholarship.
Career
Playing Career
Shepherd started playing cricket in the late 1980s at Chengu Primary School in Highfield.[2]
Makunura was a right-hand batter. He was one of the brightest prospects to emerge from Zimbabwe Cricket's development programme for high-density areas as he played for the Zimbabwe Under-14 and Under-15 sides.
In 1990, while in Form 1, Makunura started his club career as one of the pioneering members of Takashinga Cricket Club.
He made his first-class debut for Mashonaland A in the 2001/2002 season.
Makunura, however, did not play first-class cricket again until the 2006/2007 season, when he appeared twice for Northerns.
His playing career was cut short by an Achilles tendon rupture in 2007.
Coaching Career
Makunura had stints in charge of the Zimbabwe Under-14s (2005-2007) and Zimbabwe Under-19s (2008-2010).
He was the Zimbabwe A coach for the tours by Canada and Kenya in 2018.
In 2018, he also took the Zimbabwe XI side to the Africa Cup tournament in South Africa.
Makunura made history with Mountaineers by becoming the first coach in Zimbabwe to win three consecutive Logan Cup titles between 2017 and 2019.
The following season, he won the Logan Cup title with the Southern Rocks, making them four titles in a row.
In 2018, he joined the Zimbabwe senior men’s national team technical set-up as a fielding coach, a position that he held until his death on 15 December 2022.
He was also the coach of the Southern Rocks at the time of his death.
Death
Makunura died on 15 December at Westend Clinic in Harare after a long battle with illness.
He left behind a wife, Sinikiwe Mpofu, and two children.
Burial
Shepherd Makunura was buried on 17 December 2022 at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare.[3]
Further Reading
- ↑ Steve Vickers Married Zimbabwe cricket coaches die three weeks apart, BBC Sport Africa, Published: 11 January 2023, Retrieved: 13 January 2023
- ↑ NEW: ZC mourns Makunura, The Sunday Mail, Published: 15 December 2022, Retrieved: 13 January 2023
- ↑ Don Makanyanga Makunura laid to rest, Sunday Mail, Published: 18 December 2022, Retrieved: 13 January 2023
