The national men’s cricket team are currently in Kigali, Rwanda for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa Qualifier B, from November 30, through to Saturday, December 10, 2022.
The team left the shores of the country Monday afternoon (November 28) after nonresidential preparations towards the tournament.
Leading the team is Coach Rajinda Pasad, with Dennis Amoah Ababio as Team Manager.
The 14-man squad, with a slight change from the squad that returned from the ACA T20 Cup Final in September, 2022, has captain Obed Harvey, vice Samson Awe Awiah, James Kwaku Vifah, Amoluk Singh Sembhi, Godfred Bakiweyem, Rexford Bakum and Kofi Bagabena.
There is Joseph Kwame Theodore, Devender Singh, Daniel Anefi, Aziz Sualley, Alexander Osei, Richmond Baaleri and making his debut, Paul Ayoleyine, captain of the U-19 team.
Ghana is billed to play Eswatini on Thursday, December 1 at IPRC at 9:30am (7:30am Ghana Time), before a tie against Mozambique on Friday, at same venue and time.
After rest day on Saturday, Ghana moves to the Gahanga field to play Tanzania at 1:45pm (11:45am Ghana Time) on Sunday, December 4. They return to the IPRC to face Sierra Leone at 1:45pm on Monday, then they play guests to Cameroon on Tuesday, at 1:45 at the IPRC.
After another rest day, Ghana continues its campaign against Gambia on Thursday, December 8, at 9:30am at Gahanga. They wrap up the tournament with rivals Nigeria on Friday, at Gahanga at 1:45pm.
Before the matches begin, there is Umpires Workshop, Captain’s shoot and Presser and Technical meeting, all on Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
The single round robin tournament, will see two top teams qualify to the Africa Qualifier in 2023.
The team missed out of the ACA T20 Cup final after losing to Uganda, eventual winners in South Africa, not making the semifinals.
Ghana last qualified from this stage in Lagos in 2018, before losing out at the next stage in 2021 at Rwanda. Ghana put up a sterling performance in Kigali, winning 5 matches; against Rwanda, Seychelles, Lesotho, Malawi and Swaziland but lost the last match to Uganda, missing out on the sole slot qualification to the regionals in November 2021.
By: Davis Nii Attuquaye Clottey
