Anesu’s Journey From The Remote Villages to The Big Show

ACT Meteors superstar leg spinner Anesu Mushangwe was handed her Australian citizenship.

Anesu was born in Zimbabwe, a country where cricket has a rich history, particularly in the male-dominated arena. However, women’s cricket in Zimbabwe, like many parts of Africa, was still in its infancy when Anesu first began playing the sport.

“I started playing cricket back home when I was 14, I ended up going to cricket just to escape from athletics and then since then I started falling in love with the game.” Mushangwe recalled.

Having to step away from the game she fell so deeply in love with while she studied and worked for her tuition fees, Mushangwe was quick to pick up the opportunity to play over in the UK before making her way over to play in her now home country, Australia.

“I started playing cricket again and then from there I got clubs in the UK and then got a club in Adelaide, Glenelg District Cricket Club, and then they brought me over into Australia and then spent five years in South Australia. Since then, I played professional cricket as well and then decided to make a change just to see how I go in different environments and different teams. That's how I end up being here in Canberra playing for ACT after playing for South Australia.”

In Australia, she encountered a more structured and supportive cricketing infrastructure. The country's commitment to women’s cricket through leagues like the WBBL (Women’s Big Bash League) provided Anesu with more opportunities to develop her skills, compete at higher levels, and gain exposure. It was here that her game began to mature, and she was able to showcase her talents to a broader audience.

Now located here in the Nation’s Capital, the ACT Meteors are proud to call the Zimbabwe star their own.

“It's great here, except for having cold fingers. It's been a great experience, different roles, and challenging as well, but it's actually good for my growth.”

Although being now officially an Australian citizen, Mushangwe still holds her Zimbabwean roots close to her heart as she now sees herself as Zimbabwe/Australian who hopes to inspire others.

“It is an exciting feeling being an Australian citizen”

“I'd like to take it as like Zimbabwe and Australian. Yes, I'm Australian but I'm also Zimbabwean.”

“That’s the dream as well, inspiring others, not only in Zimbabwe but here in Australia as well. I feel like my journey, it has been a good inspiration. From where I grew up in the ghetto, in the villages as well, I feel like my story is something that they can relate to and hopefully they can find some inspiration from that.”