By Suleiman Jongo, The Citizen Reporter
Dar es Salaam. Local cricketers have  already enjoyed an encouraging spell in the ICC World League Division 4 for two consecutive seasons, in 2008 in Dar es Salaam and last year in Bologna, Italy.

Tanzania’s loss in the two major ICC events and the eventual failure to qualify for the ICC Africa Division 1 Twenty20 Qualifiers summed up the team’s lack of batting consistency, a weakness that also cost them dearly in previous major competitions.
But after learning from their past mistakes, the team have now vowed to make it in the forthcoming World League Division 4 to be held in the US.

“We will under-go more serious drills to make sure that we make it after trying twice, but to no avail”, says team captain, Hamis Abdallah.

He says that the recently ended BVL cricket tournament, which featured two teams from India and South Africa was a major test for their participation in the American event.

The event, which was organised by the Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) saw our local cricketers emerge winners in the T20 series after beating South African Province and India’s Mumbai.

The 50-over series saw the South African side emerging winners with the local side becoming runner up.
“It was a good lesson for us to rectify our past mistakes, now we are heading to the US with one major aim, to  qualify for the Division 3, says Abdallah.

Abdallah, who trades skills in the UK says that  even their failure at this year’s Africa Division 2 T20 tournament in Benoni, South Africa was also part of the learning.

He says that despite failing to make it into the ICC Division 1 after tumbling to Nigeria, Tanzania’s national cricket team proved that they can hold against the best teams in Africa by winning eight individual awards.

Among those awarded was a bowler Khalil Rehemtullah, who also horns skills in the UK. He was awarded a trophy as the most promising player for his extra-ordinary bowling skills after scoring a hat trick.

The week-long event saw Nigeria and Ghana qualify for the Division 1 championship held in the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi.

“We have a number of talented players who can take this country to a higher level of competitions”, says Zulfikar Rehemtulla, TCA’s chief executive officer.

According to him, among talented players, who will be useful for the forthcoming World League event include Kassim Nassoro and Riziki Kiseto. The list includes Abhik Patwa, Benson Mwita, Enjo Seth and wicket keeper, Issa Kikasi.
Rehemtullah says that there will be  minor changes  to make it a winning.

The 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four is a cricket tournament due to take place in 2012. It forms part of the ICC World Cricket League and qualifying for the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the teams that have so far qualified for the event are Denmark, which finished 5th in this year’s World League Division Three.

Others are the hosts, the US, which also finished sixth in the same event.
The list includes Nepal, which won the third place from the Bologna’s event, thus failing to qualify for the Division 3, the same like Tanzania, which finished fourth in the same event.

“This time, we don’t want to stay at Division 4, we need to earn a promotion to Division 3 till one day we participate in the World Cup”, says Rehemtullah.

Tanzania will take part in the World League event boasting of three cricketers who are playing in the United Kingdom.

Apart from Abdallah and Khalil, the list includes Mwita, whose previous maiden appearance enabled Langley Abbots to winning the English Division 1 title.

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