GARY Ballance is hoping the influence of a former Yorkshire favourite can help him make the grade as a county cricketer.
The 20-year-old left handed batsman is brushing security issues aside to return to Zimbabwe, the country of his birth, this winter to play for the Mid West Rhinos, a franchise coached by ex-Tyke Jason Gillespie.
Ballance travels to Zimbabwe on Thursday for a winter of first-class cricket as he looks to force his way into Yorkshire’s first team plans in the future.
“I have no concerns at all about the security issues,” he said. “I have been over to Zimbabwe on a number of occasions since moving to England, and there is nothing to worry about.
Ballance, the nephew of ex-Zimbabwe international David Houghton, will add to his current tally of four first-class, five List A and three Twenty20 matches this winter.
He continued: “My uncle spoke to me a couple of months ago and asked if I wanted to go over as an overseas player.
“Apparently the standard of first-class cricket is really good, so I jumped at the chance.
“It is a good chance for me to go back and play some cricket as well as see my parents, who live over there still.
“This is a big chance for me to prove myself as a first-class cricket player. I can really work on my game for five months, which has to be a good thing.
“Jason Gillespie is the coach of my team, and a few Zimbabwe internationals play for them too.
Ballance scored one hundred and eight half-centuries for Yorkshire’s second team this summer.
He played one LV= County Championship match against Somerset, two first-class friendlies against Loughborough University and India ‘A’ and three Friends Provident Twenty20 matches.
His highest score was an unbeaten 48 against Derbyshire in the FPT20.
He added: “I’m very positive that I can play at this level – and, hopefully, I can show that in Zimbabwe.”
Houghton has played a major part in the recruitment of English based players to help get Zimbabwe back on the world cricket map this winter.
He coaches one of the five franchises, as does Gillespie, former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald and ex-England one-day international batsman Monte Lynch.
Nottinghamshire all-rounder Paul Franks will play alongside Ballance for the Rhinos, while other county players like Warwickshire’s Neil Carter, Northamptonshire’s Andrew Hall, Lancashire’s Paul Horton, Somerset’s Nick Compton and Derbyshire’s Greg Smith are all playing with other teams.