Kenya national cricket team will launch their quest for a return to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup when they face Mali national cricket team in the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier “A” on Saturday in Gaborone, Botswana.
The week-long tournament, running from May 23 to May 31, brings together Kenya, hosts Botswana, Rwanda, Mali, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire in a round-robin competition, with the top two teams progressing to the Africa regional qualifiers.
Kenya heads into the tournament carrying the weight of a long wait for a return to cricket’s biggest global stage. The country last featured at the ICC Cricket World Cup during the 2011 ODI edition co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, while their most memorable campaign remains the historic 2003 World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals before losing to India in South Africa.
The East Africans also appeared at the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007 but have struggled to reclaim their place among cricket’s elite in recent years.
Head coach Joseph Angara insists the team will approach every fixture seriously despite Kenya being viewed among the favourites to advance.
“To be honest, qualifiers are not the easiest. We are not going to take any team for granted. Every game is going to be important for us. We want to win all the games and lift the trophy,” Angara said before the team departed from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
Kenya’s 14-man squad includes the return of experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Irfan Karim, who rejoins the side after missing recent assignments due to off-field issues. The squad also features newcomer Subham Patel alongside former captains Rakep Patel and Shem Ngoche.
Subham receives his maiden senior national team call-up as Kenya look to blend experience with emerging talent during the qualification campaign.
Preparations for the tournament were affected by heavy rains in Nairobi, although Angara expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall readiness ahead of the opening fixture against Mali.
Team captain Dhiren Gondaria said morale within the camp had improved following recent leadership changes at Cricket Kenya under newly elected chairman Bhavesh Gohil.
The players had previously raised concerns over delayed salary payments and administrative instability, issues that had threatened Kenya’s participation amid fears of possible ICC sanctions linked to governance wrangles within Cricket Kenya.
“They have given us a lot of hope. They have already started the process of addressing the challenges we face, which the previous officials did not,” Gondaria said.
Gohil also welcomed ICC’s continued support after the international governing body catered for the team’s air tickets and accommodation costs for the tournament.
“The most important thing is that we are participating because initially it was never guaranteed. The ICC has confidence in us and stakeholders are watching. We will give our best as officials,” Gohil said.
Following the opening clash against Mali, Kenya will face Rwanda on May 25, Sierra Leone on May 26, Cameroon on May 28, Botswana on May 29 and Côte d’Ivoire on May 30.
The top two teams from the Africa regional qualifiers will eventually secure qualification slots for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
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