Cricket: Kenya gears up for three-nation T20 event
Kenya cricket women's team pose for photo before facing Bangladesh on January 19, 2022 in their Women’s Twenty20 Commonwealth Games Qualifiers at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
What you need to know:
- Otieno said they will also use the tournament to gauge the players' abilities as they seek to build a formidable national cricket women's team. He called for the home support during the matches.
- "It has been long since Kenya last hosted a cricket women's event. Kenyans should therefore come out in large numbers and cheer the team. They should keep faith in us because we want to achieve a lot," he said. Uganda and Qatar are expected in the country from Sunday.
National cricket women’s team coach Francis Otieno is sweating over his players’ match fitness levels ahead of their three-nation T20 tournament in Nairobi from December 13-22.
Neighbours Uganda and Qatar are the teams Kenya will come up against in the tournament which will be played in a double-round robin format at the Sikh Union Club in Nairobi.
Otieno said though they have not had the best preparations, their aim is to win the title.
Apart from sharpening their bowling and batting skills, the coach said he intends to use the remaining days before the tournament starts to improve on his players’ awareness level during matches.
“Rain has affected our training but we have given it our best,” said Otieno.
“The ability to read a game as quickly as possible is something that is still not at the level we want in the team, so we will keep on working on it because it will determine our performance in the tournament.”
The team of 14 players and two reserves have been training for the last four weeks at Sir Ali Muslim Club and now Sikh Union Club.
They have been drawn from the four teams namely; Lenana Twigas, Nelion Kobokos, Batian Farasis and Savanna Simbas that in July competed in the inaugural Kenya Women’s National Cricket 35 Overs league.
Otieno said they will also use the tournament to gauge the players' abilities as they seek to build a formidable national cricket women's team. He called for the home support during the matches.
"It has been long since Kenya last hosted a cricket women's event. Kenyans should therefore come out in large numbers and cheer the team. They should keep faith in us because we want to achieve a lot," he said. Uganda and Qatar are expected in the country from Sunday.
