Curran dedicated his life to improving the standards of cricket in Zimbabwe

Former Zimbabwe batsman and national coach Kevin Curran has died at the age of 53 after he collapsed while jogging early in the morning.

With the Zimbabwe domestic season having just started, Curran took up the position as head coach of the Mashonaland Eagles.

Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa said: “We are still in shock, Kevin was the epitome of health and we have yet to make sense of this tragic loss, KC’s past and continued contribution to the game of cricket is unquestionable and dates as far back as his playing days up until the phenomenal work he had been doing at Mash Eagles. I have yet to meet a man more passionate about cricket in this country, KC had put his heart and soul into developing our franchise and 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.”

Cricket South Africa (CSA) acting CEO Jacques Faul also paid his tributes to Curran, saying: “It is very sad news, he is well remembered for his brief playing stint in this country for KwaZulu-Natal and Boland where he always played the game to the best professional standards.”

Curran made his international debut during the 1983 World Cup, where Zimbabwe shocked the world by defeating Australia at Trent Bridge.

Curran, who played in two World Cups during his four-year career, scored 287 runs in 11 matches, which included two half centuries, and also took nine wickets.

When Zimbabwe had been granted Test status, Curran had nearly completed his 10-year qualification for English residency, and he decided not to represent Zimbabwe any more.

Curran really made a name for himself in the England county circuit as he made over 1000 runs in a season five times.

In 1990 after Gloucestershire refused to renew his contract, Curran signed with Northamptonshire and continued playing there till he announced his retirement in 1999.

After his retirement, Curran became the assistant coach of the Zimbabwe national team before deciding to take up a coaching stint with Namibia.

In September 2004, Curran left Namibia to become the coaching director at the CFX Cricket Academy in Harare, and in 2005, he replaced Phil Simmons as Zimbabwe’s national coach until 2007.

Shortly after stepping down as coach of the national team, Curran became the head of the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy, where he coached the Zimbabwe Under-19 squad in preparation for the Under-19 World Cup in 2010.

Curran was also included in the senior selection panel shortly after being named as coach of the Mashonaland Eagles.