NAIROBI (AFP) – Kenya has named a strong squad including three professionals for the Africa Twenty20 qualifiers in Uganda next week, cricket officials said on Tuesday.
The world cricket league division one tournament, which counts towards next year’s world T20 championships in Bangladesh, will also involve Botswana, Nigeria and Tanzania.
It is the first time that Kenya, winners of the inaugural World Cricket League in Nairobi in 2007, will be playing in the African qualifier after dropping down the order in the ICC T20 rankings and being relegated.
“We are not taking the Uganda tournament lightly. That is why we have named our very strong team, as we are seeking to climb back up the ladder to the top of the T20 rankings among the Associate teams,” Cricket Kenya administrative manager, David Odhiambo said.
The February 23-March 1 tournament will be contested on a round-robin format, where teams will play each other twice with the top sides determined at the conclusion of these two rounds.
Kenya will open their campaign against arch-rivals and defending champions, Uganda at the Lugogo stadium on Saturday.
Only the top two teams will qualify, alongside Namibia to represent Africa in the penultimate round of the World Cup qualifying competition in the United Arab Emirates later this year.