Jarvis, who last played a Test in January 2020, battled a trio of illnesses earlier this year
“I hurt my back against Sri Lanka in a Test match beginning of 2020,” Jarvis said in a media interaction. “I managed to come back and become fit again and just as I was starting to come back into it I got that illness which set me back further. After the uncertainty of that, I needed to realise I had to start looking for something for life after cricket. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could come back again, but I had my mind set to start something on the side.”
Fast-tracked into the Zimbabwe side after an impressive performance in the Under-19 World Cup in 2008, he made his ODI debut in the home series against Kenya in October 2009. He subsequently made it to the squads against Bangladesh and South Africa, following which he was sidelined after a spate of injuries. His comeback to international cricket coincided with Zimbabwe’s return to the Test fold. He made his Test debut against Bangladesh in Harare in August 2011, where he picked up five wickets across two innings.
“I felt my last three years of international cricket were my best,” he said. “I am very proud of what I managed to do at the end there.”
However, he quit Zimbabwe cricket in 2013 after a total of eight Tests to play county cricket with Lancashire. At the time, Zimbabwe Cricket was experiencing one of its myriad financial crises and players had not been paid. Jarvis sought a county deal in the hope of financial security and established himself as one of the club’s most valuable players. In September 2017, he ended his Lancashire deal to resume international career with Zimbabwe.
Jarvis said that despite having completely recovered from the illness, he had made plans for an alternate career during the period.
“I made a full recovery from both. I train every day – in the gym, playing football or running. I can’t try and guess if I could play at the same level again. I think if put my mind to it, I could but I have made peace with my decision,” he said.
“I’ve got a vehicle import-export business and a used car dealership here in Zimbabwe and I am starting a restaurant. It’s a bit crazy to be doing a restaurant in these Covid times but hopefully we can get it together.”