03 Mar 2022

Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) will host the 50 Overs league on Sunday with focus on identifying potential national team players for the men’s Under 19 and senior team.

The two teams will be in the running for the one day international (ODI) status. ODI is one of the three officially recognised formats of cricket played between two teams with 11 players on each team.

In an interview BCA vice chairperson, Sumod Damodar, said the intensive league scheduled to take place between March and the first week of May was in preparation for the scheduled International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) events lined up for the year.

He said following the conclusion of the T20 League where players were selected under the watchful eyes of the national coach the 50 over league would also be constituted in a similar fashion.

The games would be played only on Sundays due to the format and requirement of playing time.

Damodar said not all countries were eligible to play the 50 over because there were more stricter restrictions on eligibility to play compared to a T20 outing.

Botswana is part of the T20 global rankings. Damodar said there were 20 associate members in the ODI status globally while in Africa only Kenya, Namibia and Uganda made the berth.

He said there were three slots coming up for countries who wanted to play 50 overs and who qualified to get into that league.

He said they wanted the senior men’s team to play because Botswana had what was required to be eligible to qualify and be part of the ODI structures.

Kick starting the 50 over league this weekend would be a tie between Kobe Trading and Eland, an under 23 side.

The match is scheduled for the BCA oval A. at the same time at oval B Aqua Pro Warriors will take on Impala also an Under 19 side. ENDs