Mark on road to recovery

FORMER Werneth CC professional Mark Vermeulen is back in the international cricket arena after recovering from an illness which all but wrecked his life.

Followers of Werneth will never forget September 10, 2006, the day on which their side conceded defeat in a Lake Garage CLL match at Ashton after Vermeulen completely lost the plot.

Barracked by home supporters urging their team to victory, Vermeulen hurled a cricket ball at them, narrowly missing a young girl.

Then, armed with a boundary-marker spike, he marched towards them before he was wrestled to the floor by Werneth supporters and officials.

Vermeulen was banned by the CLL for 10 years, but that was subsequently reduced at a Lancashire Cricket Board hearing.

The Zimbabwean was suspended from cricket matches under the jurisdiction of the ECB for a year, with a further two-year sentence enforceable if he offended again.

Vermeulen returned home in disgrace, but his mental problems - which he has since talked candidly about - were only just beginning.

No longer able to play cricket for his country, Vermeulen attempted to burn down the Harare Sports Club which housed the Zimbabwe Cricket headquarters.

His efforts failed only because someone spotted smoke and the fire was quickly extinguished.

Undeterred, Vermeulen set his sights on Harare’s cricket academy the next night.

Igniting the building’s thatched roof with a lighter, he watched the fire catch hold before driving away. The building, which contained computers, video equipment and playing kit, was gutted, but no-one was hurt.

Within hours, Vermeulen was arrested and a long stretch in prison seemed inevitable.

But doctors’ examinations revealed Vermeulen was suffering from a mental illness caused by two blows to the head.

The first came during a 2003 net session in which a beamer felled him.

A year later, while playing for Zimbabwe in a one-day match against India in Brisbane, a rising delivery crashed into Vermeulen’s helmet, causing an indentation in his skull.

Presented with medical evidence, the Zimbabwe court cleared Vermeulen of all charges against him on the basis that he had not been in control of his actions.

Placed on medication, Vermeulen resolved to rebuild his life and cricketing career.

He suggested to Zimbabwe Cricket that they let him play again and, in return, he would donate all his match fees in order to pay for the damage caused by the fire at the academy.

So far, he reckons he has coughed up about half of the £94,000 outstanding, and more will be going towards his target following his appearances for Zimbabwe in two one-day internationals against Kenya on Monday and yesterday.

Ironically, both matches were held at the Harare Sports Club he once tried to burn down.
Somehow Vermeulen managed to exorcise his demons by making runs in both games.

The 30-year-old hit 49 in Zimbabwe’s 313 for four from 50 overs on Monday. And he took one wicket for five runs as Kenya were bowled out for 222 in reply.

Yesterday, he made 32 in a total of 263 for seven but didn’t get a bowl as Kenya were dismissed for 177.

Vermeulen’s rehabilitation seems complete, but the threat of another blow to the head and the irreparable damage it could cause still hangs over him.

In an interview with a national newspaper, he revealed his surgeon had warned him that another hit by a cricket ball could prove fatal.

And he admitted: “Every time I walk out to bat could be my last, but I don’t worry too much about that. I love cricket too much.

“Everyone experiences their own journey through life and I’ve certainly had a pretty eventful one and hopefully now I’ll have a quiet end to my career.”

Those Werneth followers who watched in horror at Ashton three years ago will struggle to forgive a man who brought shame to their club.

But perhaps the full story of Vermeulen’s recovery from mental torture brought on by the full force of a cricket ball delivered at speed will help them to find some measure of forgiveness.