THE GUARDIAN, Wednesday, February 20, 2013
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CricketWeekly Countdown To The Pepsi ICC-Africa T20 Division Championship
Kampala 2013 gladiators set for the ultimate promotion battle The Kampala 2013 Pepsi ICC-Africa T20 Division One Championship begins on Saturday in the Ugandan capital with Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana as the contenders for fame and promotion. The teams are vying to occupy the top spot at the championship, which automatically qualifies the winner for the next stage of the journey to relevance in the game in the UAE. Below, ICC’s Zuraida Badat looks at each of the teams and their chances of success in Kampala. TEAM Nigeria IGERIA won the ICC-Africa APL T20 Division 2 Trophy in Johannesburg, South Africa in May 2011, thus qualifying for the ICC-Africa APL T20 Division 1 that was hosted by Uganda. Little was known about Nigeria, which clearly worked for it as it almost upset hosts, Uganda, in one of the games played. Nigeria will come into the tournament with a lot of confidence to cause some upsets after emerging fourth in the last tournament held in Uganda. Nigeria was promoted from Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 7 to Division 6 after securing second position at the WCL Div 7 Tournament held in Gaborone, Botswana in the same month of May 2011. It is currently ranked 37th in ICC ODI Ranking. Nigeria will place its hopes on all rounders, Kunle Adegbola, Jide Bejide and Seye Olympio to deliver the “Holy Grail” in its second appearance of the tournament. Team Kenya Kenya will head into the Pepsi ICC-Africa World Cricket League Regional T20 tournament in Kampala, Uganda, as firm favourites to lift the title. The Kenyans, who finished third in the same event held in Uganda in 2011, will seek to do better having been represented by a young inexperienced squad at the time. The stakes are higher this time with qualification into the global stage a guarantee for the top two teams. Kenya will be sending an experienced squad to compete in these fixtures this time and will be expected to qualify based on being the highest ranked member in the six team event. In Alex Obanda, the team possesses a massively talented player in the T20 format. If he gets going, he is likely to lay the platform for the rest of the top order batsman to exploit, with the other dependable batsmen, Rakep Patel, Tanmay Mishra and Collins Obuya to follow. Kenya’s bowling department will be spearheaded by the pair of Nehemiah Odhiambo and Nelson Odhiambo to provide the necessary penetration and in Hiren Varaiya, Kenya possess a reliable spinner in the continental wickets, his contribution will be key to Kenya’s chances when it needs the breakthroughs against established batsmen to turn the
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game in its favour. Preparations have been ongoing since the team resumed training in early January and having to face some relatively unknown opposition will provide a huge challenge for it despite its status. The T20 format is sometimes a gamble and on another day similarly ranked teams can cause upsets, but the five-time World Cup campaigners will be hoping to secure qualification into the next stage of the competition. With each team playing each other twice for a total of eight matches, Kenya’s physicality will be severely tested with will the upcoming fixture against Canada in Dubai on the back of the series in Kampala. Team Uganda There will be no room for error as Uganda, the defending Champions of the Pepsi ICC Africa Division one T20 Qualifiers, open its defense against star studded Kenya at Kyambogo Oval on the opening day. Coaches Martin Suji and Stephen Tikolo will want their charges to use home advantage and stamp their authority on the week-long showpiece. The stakes are high for the Ugandan team, who would once again like to qualify for the Global Qualifiers after the last campaign ended in a disaster. The team has had good preparations going into the tournament, including a tour to the United Arab Emirates in January 2013. Uganda will have its hopes in had hitting Roger Mukasa, who is capable of destroying any bowling attack when he gets going. He proved this in the last tournament where he was very influential in Uganda’s lifting of the Division one trophy in 2011. He will be ably assisted by his two brothers, Laurence Sematimba and Frank Nsubuga, who have proved in recent times that they are forces to reckon with. Coupled with their vast experience, they will play a key role in ensuring that Uganda is triumphant. The bowling attack will be led by Charles Waiswa, who will hope that the conditions favor his sharp in swings that have caused mayhem to many teams in the past. He will be ably assisted by new kid on the block, Brian Masaba, commonly known as “Massy.” Brian, a former Uganda Under 19 captain, made his senior debut in the same tournament in 2011, where he greatly
impressed and became a darling of the crowds. He has since matured and established himself as a death bowler for the country. Team Botswana Karabo Modise or ‘Chinny,’ as he is fondly known by his team mates, a nickname picked up during his rugby playing days as a youngster, is a product of the BCA’s development programme and caught the attention of the cricketing fraternity in Botswana for his powerful stroke play. The heavy set left hander has been involved with the Botswana senior men’s team for four years and aged 23, still has a lot to offer the nation. Besides being a clean striker of the ball, Modise can also bowl orthodox left arm spin and left arm pace and has also shown good cricketing acumen when called upon to captain. Modise’s talents even turned heads during Botswana’s pre tournament tour to Sri Lanka in 2009 when he let loose on some premier grade club bowlers, justifying the fact that he could also hold his own when playing against a higher pedigree of cricketers. Modise was the catalyst for a crucial and nail biting victory against Germany in a World Cricket League Division 7 fixture in May 2011 when he scored an imposing 65 which included seven fours and one six when Botswana were struggling at 28-3. With T20 cricket being right down his avenue with his style of play, Modise will have an important role to fulfill in determining the fortunes of Botswana in the ICC Africa Division One T20 World Cup Qualifiers come February 2013. Team Tanzania Not much is known about Tanzania, whose players have moved through the system to the national team. The current team is a young one and will strive to impress and cause some upsets at the tournament. However, it has to contend with the big boys, Uganda and Kenya, who are looking forward to dominating this prestigious tournament. Tanzania was runner up in the last Pepsi ICC Africa Division 2 tournament held in South Africa last year, just behind Botswana, who it beat in the preliminary round. Botswana managed to tip them at the top of the table in the last tournament as it had a superior net run rate.
Nigeria celebrating a good outing during the WCL Division Seven play-off in Guernsey.
Kenya is the highest ranked team in the Pepsi ICC-Africa Division One T20 Championship.
Hamisi Abdallah is the captain of the Tanzanian team.
Uganda rejoicing after beating Kenya in a recent championship.
Botswana strongman, Omar Ali.