Pursuant to a successfully concluded hosting of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers by the Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) at the BCA Ovals in Gaborone in September, the focus has now shifted to the above forthcoming tournament.
The Men’s edition of the T20 qualification tournaments are scheduled to be hosted by Rwanda Cricket Association and will span across a five (5) week period. The qualifiers pathway is divided into two (2) Groups to be played as separate stand-alone stages and the winners from each group then proceed to play against Kenya and Nigeria to determine the Africa winners, for the global qualifiers.
Botswana is placed in Group B along with Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Mozambique.
Further to the training sessions and intra-squad practice matches permitted by Botswana National Sport Commission (BNSC) under the Covid-19 protocol guidelines, for the past several months, the Men’s team are scheduled to travel to Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) for additional preparations.
The Tuskers of Bulawayo, through Cricket Zimbabwe, have graciously consented to assist BCA by offering practice matches to the Men’s squad, ahead of their travel to Rwanda. The touring party of seventeen (17) are currently in the pre-travel “Bubble” at Stay Easy Inn, following the initial Rapid Antigen Tests, since Sunday 10th October 2021. They are scheduled to depart for Bulawayo tomorrow, Wednesday 13th October 2021 and depart from Bulawayo a week later, on the 20th October 2021; the team are undergoing PCR Tests today as per travel requirements.
The proposed schedule of games against Tuskers, are as follows;
13th October 2021-Depart for Bulawayo at 0400hrs
14th October 2021-50 Over Game vs Tuskers at 0930hrs
15th October 2021-Rest Day
16th October 2021-2 T20s vs Tuskers at 0930hrs and 1400hrs
17th October 2021-1 T20 vs Tuskers at 1400hrs
18th October 2021-2 T20s vs Tuskers at 0930hrs and 1400hrs
19th October 2021-1 T20 vs Tuskers at 1400hrs
20th October 2021-Depart back to Gaborone at 0400hrs
Arrangements are underway for travel and the tournament in Rwanda and further details will be furnished in due course, after finalization.
The BCA sincerely thanks the Government of Botswana, BNSC, Cricket Zimbabwe & Tuskers, stakeholders, well-wishers, officials and the Media for their continued support, commitment and hard work in promoting Cricket and endorsing our efforts in “Bringing Cricket to the Nation”.