Travis Friend
Travis John Friend (born 7 January 1981) is a former Zimbabwean international cricketer. Friend was born in Kwekwe, Midlands. He captained Zimbabwe in four under-19 ODIs and went on to play a full senior ODI for Zimbabwe aged 19. A stress fracture to his back set him back, but he later returned to the Test squad. Capable of bowling genuine pace, he was often wayward and lacked the necessary control to be a success on the international stage. He was quick nevertheless, bowling briskly during the 2003 CWC and the months following during the sides tour of England . He bowled a hostile spell to Alan Butcher at Lords, in which he was clocked at just under 90 mph. In addition to his ability to bowl with pace and hostility, he could hold a bat, often being used in the role of pinch hitter for his side, very much in the mould of Andy Blignaut. One of the 15 "rebels" of Zimbabwean cricket, his international cricket career ended in 2004. In 2005 he was contracted by Derbyshire but made little impact in the County Championship and was not retained for 2006. In 2009 he signed up for the summer  with Castletown Cricket Club on the Isle of Man – the first time any of the island's teams could boast a former Test player. Retirement. After retiring from cricket, Friend moved to the Middle East. He now works as a commercial pilot for Qatar Airways. As of October 2021 he is out of a job and is looking for new opportunities. Personal life. Friend is married, and has a son and a daughter.