AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE national cricket team wicket keeper, Issa Kikasi has said that their level of match fitness has not been affected by non-participation in the international events because of persisting global Coronavirus pandemic.
The global travel restrictions have affected the staging of international sporting events in the wake of combating the spread of Coronavirus, leading to the cancellation and postponement of several international assignments.
Kikasi said that before nationally stopping cricket events because of the passing away of the late Joseph Magufuli, they had a series of domestic competitions that kept them busy throughout while waiting for the stability of global Coronavirus situation.
“We have managed to maintain our match fitness because of concrete coaching and domestic tournament programmes set by the Tanzania Cricket Association,” said Kikasi.
“We had a busy daily and weekly schedule, competing in several domestic tournaments as well as national team’s training,” said Kikasi.
‘We had also match fitness programmes on weekly basis under coach Steve Tikolo for us to stay ready for the resumption of international cricket,” said Kikasi, one of the experienced players of all time with a record of participating in ICC-Africa World Cup qualifiers.
After the government allowed local sporting events back to action after the first phase of Coronavirus, the country’s governing cricket body, TCA managed to organise several coaching programmes and domestic tournaments at all levels.
Cricket is one the sporting events which were locked out of international competitions by the global governing body, ICC.
But the recent resumption of international competitions, prompted with Covid test before teams travel and upon arrival, will also see the returning of local cricket back to international scene.
Tanzania is among other five countries expected to feature teams in the forthcoming ICC Mens’ T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa B Qualifier to be held in South Africa later this month.
The 2020 event was rescheduled to this year after last year being heavily affected due to Covid- 19 global pandemic.
According to International Cricket Council (ICC) media zone, there will be qualification series involving teams from different continents, among others, America and Europe.
About 86 different teams will vie for the opportunity to fill the 16 World Cup spots in Australia.
The qualification series will be the pathway for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia which is set to take place in October and November 2022.
