The Sunday News
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE have been awarded the rights to host the International Cricket Council Women Twenty20 World Cup Africa Qualifier to be held in May.
Patricia Kambarami, the ICC Africa regional development manager recently wrote to Zimbabwe Cricket confirming that the country will host the qualifiers which will involve nine teams from 3 to 13 May. Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zimbabwe are the countries which will take part in the tournament.
The tournament is a qualification pathway to the IC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier and the ICC Women T20 World Cup. Winners of the Africa qualifier will proceed to take part in the global qualification tournament where they stand an opportunity to make it to next year’s ICC Women T20 World Cup to be held in Australia.
It is understood that the granting of the rights to host the tournament to Zimbabwe was based on the ICC being impressed with the way the country successfully handled the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier held early last year. The women’s qualifier matches will most likely be played at Old Hararians and Harare Sports Club.
With the Mary-Anne Musonda captained Lady Chevrons having recently whitewashed Namibia in a five-match T20 series held in Walvis Bay, the Zimbabwean women will look to carry that form from Namibia to the qualifier.
Zimbabwe have to be at their best to deal with the threat posed by Uganda, a side that has given them a torrid time in recent times that the two teams have played each other. It was the Ugandans who beat Zimbabwe by three wickets in ICC Women World T20 Africa Qualifier in Windhoek, in September 2017. Last year, Uganda also defeated Zimbabwe by seven runs in the final of the Women’s T20 Challenge held in Harare.
— @Mdawini_29
