"So we don’t have to glue our shoes" - Zimbabwe cricketer's emotional plea for a sponsor goes viral

Zimbabwe international cricketer Ryan Burl has made an emotional and desperate plea for a sponsor on social media. Sharing a photo of his worst-for-wear shoes, Burl said that he has to glue the pair after every series. He tagged the International Cricketers Association and some famous brands in his request as well.

The tweet, posted on Saturday night, has gone viral on Twitter with over 4000 interactions. While many fans have offered to help Burl and his team, some also questioned the distribution of financial resources among smaller nations in modern cricket.

"Any chance we can get a sponsor so we don’t have to glue our shoes back after every series ... @ICAssociation," wrote Burl in his plea.

Here's his tweet that has gone viral:

Any chance we can get a sponsor so we don’t have to glue our shoes back after every series 😢 @newbalance @NewBalance_SA @NBCricket @ICAssociation pic.twitter.com/HH1hxzPC0m

— Ryan Burl (@ryanburl3) May 22, 2021

Ryan Burl is a batting all-rounder and has featured in 46 internationals for Zimbabwe. He has over 500 runs across formats and has also picked up 26 wickets with his leg-spin bowling.

Zimbabwe to play Ireland in a limited-overs series

ZImbabwe cricket team'

Zimbabwe's team recently played a five-match international series against Pakistan. They registered a staggering win in the 2nd T20I by bowling out Babar Azam's team for just 99 runs in Hazare, but lost the other four matches easily.

The two-Test series perfectly displayed the stark contrast between the two nations, with Zimbabwe losing both games by an innings. Many Pakistani experts had even questioned Zimbabwe's Test status after the defeat.

The African team is now set to tour Ireland for three ODIs and as many T20Is. The series will begin on August 6 in Belfast with the ODI leg and move to Bready on August 15 for the shortest format.

India was also supposed to tour Zimbabwe in 2020 but the tour got postponed due to the pandemic. The BCCI has arranged for a tour to Sri Lanka, which was also scrapped last year for the same reason, suggesting that they had to help the country with its 'financial struggle'.

It remains to be seen if the cash-crunched Zimbabwe can get such help from the Indian board soon as well.

@ZimCricketv has named the following Zimbabwe 'A' squads for the one-day and four-day series at home to @OfficialCSA 'A' starting later this month . . . 🇿🇼🏏🇿🇦#ZIMAvSAA | #VisitZimbabwe | #BowlOutCovid19 pic.twitter.com/D3Y54kt3Dm

— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) May 19, 2021