Cricket: Kenya junior team for World Cup qualifiers named
National men’s junior cricket team will Tuesday start training proper for the 2024 International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division One qualifiers planned for July 23 to 29 in Tanzania.
The hosts, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Namibia are the other countries that will compete in the qualifiers, whose winner will clinch the sole ticket to the World Cup that will be held in Sri Lanka.
ICC is yet to release dates for the World Cup.
Kenya progressed to the Division One round as champions of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division Two qualifiers.
Coach Josephat Irungu's side defeated host Nigeria by 11 runs in a low scoring, tense contest, at the MKO Cricket Stadium, Abuja in October last year.
Irungu has named a 38-man provisional squad for the tournament in Tanzania.
Nairobi has contributed the highest number of players to the squad at 32 while Nakuru and Mombasa counties have produced three players each.
While Irungu will train the Nairobi-based players at Sikh Union Club, those from Nakuru and Mombasa will be trained in those regions by former Kenya internationals Peter Ongondo and Maurice Odumbe respectively.
Cricket Kenya Development Director Thomas Odoyo and the chairperson for the selection committee Alfred Njuguna will oversee the process.
Irungu said that for now, the players will train after school and during weekends.
The provisional squad will then be whittled down to around 18 players after which it will enter residential training camp sometime early next month.
There are also plans for the team to acclimatise in Mombasa two weeks prior to the tournament. Irungu said no one is guaranteed a place in the final squad as only those players who impress will make the cut.
Provisional squad
1. Brian Likavu (WK) – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
2. Darsh Panchani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
3. Raj Manji – Sikh Union Sports Club
4. Yash Gohil (WK) – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
5. Vishil Patel – Ruaraka Sports Club
6. Vaibhav Naresh – Stray Lions Cricket Club
7. Dedan Omondi – Stray Lions Cricket Club
8. Stian Smith – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
9. Yuvraj Bhatyani - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
10. Duncan Muchenditsi – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
11. Rayan Kassam - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
12. Manveer Singh – Sikh Union Sports Club
13. Krish Haria – Swamibapa Sports Club
14. Peter Ngure – Obuya Cricket Academy
15. Ken Mwangi – Obuya Cricket Academy
16. Allan Kibabi – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
17. Jiyan Patel – Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
18. Kelvin Mutembei – Stray Wolves Cricket Club
19. Ankit Ashani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
20. Rohit Varsani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
21. Neel Doshi - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
22. Saavir Karani – Obuya Cricket Academy
23. Darshil Suthar – Goan Institute
24. Kelvin Nganga – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
25. Ashdeep Kundi – Sikh Union Sports Club
26. Simon Mburu – Kenya Kongonis Cricket Club
27. Arnav Patel - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
28. Akshith Sekar - Nairobi Gymkhana Sports Club
29. Yug Kerai – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
30. Garv Galaiya – Stray Leopards Cricket Club
31. Aditya Vekaria – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
32. Sajeeth Chidmbaram – Stray Lions Cricket Club
33. Hitendra Sanghani – Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj
34. Vatsal Shah – Mombasa Sports Club
35.Manav Devani – Mombasa Sports Club
36.Hassan Lijodi – Pirates Cricket Club
37.Yusuf Khamala - Pirates Cricket Club
38.Joseph Macharia - Pirates Cricket Club
BY DAILY NATION
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