Cricket team in SA for T20 Tournament
Botswana Cricket Association has this week sent their senior men team to South Africa, where they will compete in the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) top eight (8) T20 tournament.
Eight (8) playing nations are set to battle it out for African supremacy at Willowmoore Park Cricket Stadium in Benoni, South Africa from the 16th- 23rd September 2022.
The current tournament was postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic back in 2020, but the ACA are confident of successfully hosting the games in September.
The top teams across the regional tournaments in the continent will be divided into two groups which will feature Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Malawi in group A while Group B comprises of Kenya, Botswana, Cameroon and Mozambique.
BCA Vice Chairperson Sumod Damodar told Sun Sport that they have been preparing well and is optimistic that they can get a podium finish in Benoni.
“We know it is a huge challenge but we expect our team to at least have a podium finish, which will depend on how they play in the tournament. Having said that, and looking at what we have, there is a good chance for them to at least reach the semi-finals. If they perform to the best of their abilities, I am confident that we will finish in the last two, at least,” Damodar said.
The tournament is expected to also help the teams prepare for the ICC T20 men’s world cup qualifiers which is billed for Rwanda next month.
Damodar, who is also the chairman of ACA previously told Sun Sport that, the tournament is another initiative by the ACA to promote the development of the game in the African continent despite challenges they face.
The tournament group stage will be played in a single round-robin format, following which, the top team from each group will contest in the Final of the inaugural edition of ACA Africa, T20 Cup.
The Tournament will help also South Africa, who have qualified for the men’s T20 Cricket world billed for Melborne, Australia from the 16th October – 13th November 2022. Zimbabwe and Namibia have also made it to the tournament.
BCA also recently hosted the girls Under 19 ICC world cup qualifiers and despite the local girls failing to advance, Damodar shared that the team performed well given the fact that it was their first time to compete in an international event.
Plans are also underway according to the chairman of ACA, to have a similar competition for women and it is expected that the next edition will include women in the tournament.
The tournament starts this Thursday with Botswana facing Uganda in the opening match of the tournament at 09:30 am.
Botswana Squad; Karabo Motlhanka (captain) Tarindu Perera, Inzimam Master, Vinoo Balakrishan, Tshepo Phaswana, Reginald Nehonde, Zain Abassi, Amir Sayeed, Thatayaone Tshose, Mmoloki Mooketsi, Dhruv Maisuria, Valentine Mbazo, Phemelo Silas, Boemo Khumal Mosepele and Hemal Pragii