NATIONAL cricket team jets off today for Harare, Zimbabwe where the team will pitch a ten-day camp to prepare for 2020 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers.
The qualification games will be played in South Africa from April 25th to May 4th this year.
While in Harare, the team will play five friendly matches with Rhinos at Kwekwe Sports Club.
According to the Tanzania Cricket Authority (TCA) Communication Officer, Atif Salim, the five friendly matches will begin from Monday to Friday.
Salim said the squad will comprise 18 players and two officials. The players include opening batsman; Abhik Patwa, fast bowler Kasimu Nassoro, Riziki Kiseto, Jitin Singh, Jatin Darji, Zafar Khan, Mohammed Ali, Mohamed Omari and Ally Mpeka.
Others are Nasibu Kelvin, Salumu Jumbe, Zamoyoni Ramadhani, Harsheed Chohan, Jumanne Masquater, Nassoro Zahoro, spinner Athumani Kakonzi, Ashish Kamania and wicket keeper Issa Kikasi.
The two officials who will be accompanying the team to Harare include Head Coach Steve Tikolo and Head of Development Office, Hamisi Abdallah.
He also detailed that, Rhinos is a great franchise with many players playing first class cricket.
“It is therefore an opportunity and a great challenge for our national team to start gauging their strength,” he said.
After the buildup games in Zimbabwe, the national team will return home for further drills before setting off to South Africa.
The Africa qualifier games will have two sub-regional groups, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the Regional final.
Tanzania is placed in group A alongside Mozambique, Botswana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone and St.Helena, while group B teams are Uganda, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, Seychelles and eSwatini.
Meanwhile, Paul Manyanda Memorial Pro-10 Cricket League will continue today with one match on card to be played for Division B between Strikers and MCC at the Annadil Burhani ground in Dar es Salaam.
Strikers are placed sixth after winning two games, lost four and have pocketed four points, while MCC are placed at the bottom after pocketing two points in a single game they have won.
