After mixed results in recent editions, the national team is expected to go all out against the likes of Kenya and Uganda
Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian cricketers have yet another chance to prove their prowess in the six-nation ICC-Africa Senior T20 Division 1 Cricket Qualifiers, which will begin on March 27 in South Africa.
After mixed results in recent editions, the national team is expected to go all out against the likes of Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana and Ghana.
Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) chief executive officer Zulfikar Rehemtulla, confirmed the national team’s participation yesterday, exuding confidence of a glorious outing.
And to sharpen the players’ skills for the five-day meet, Rehemtulla said they will use the forthcoming Azam Premier League (APL) as a preparatory event.
The league, formerly known as the Advanced Players League, will get underway next weekend, assuming a new name due to sponsorship reasons.
“We will field the national team at the South Africa qualifiers and it’s our hope that our players will perform well and deliver us the title,”Rehemtulla said.
According to him, the team will have several new faces with some competing at the top level for the first time. “We have selected a team with several experienced players, but we will also have some new faces from various local clubs,” he said.
Some of the new faces expected in the national team’s fold are those who featured for the Under-19 side at the recently concluded ICC-Africa World Cup Qualifiers held in Dar es Salaam.
The youth team failed to qualify for the World Cup on their home soil, but Rehemtulla says it was part of the learning curve.
The TCA boss expressed his confidence that the youngsters will leave their mark when playing with their more experienced teammates.
Tanzania’s long-serving captain Hamis Abdallah also voiced optimism that they will be out to win the title in South Africa.
“We tried to win this event in the past, but we could not succeed. However, judging by the current standard of the players we have, I am convinced that we will bring home the trophy,” he said.
