By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
Samuel Conteh, 22, will be the first Sierra Leonean Cricketer in eighty-three years to play in an international T20 Club Cricket League such as the ILT20 Season 4 Franchise League in Dubai, which will run from December 2 to December 24, 2025.
The 22-year-old will be playing for Sharjah Warriorz Franchise Club. He will join teammates from Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, England, Australia, United States, Afghanistan, West Indices, Malaysia, and New Zealand.
The League, which is run by the Emirates Cricket Board with official T20 status, brings together stars from ICC associate countries.
To this feat, Conteh said he feels great and blessed to have been given the opportunity to play with stars he always admires on TV. “This is a legacy of the current Chairman of Cricket Sierra Leone because this opportunity came on account of his good leadership. And this will also motivate other players to work hard whenever they represent the country in international tournaments,” he remarked
On the spillover effect, Conteh said he is going to learn new skills to give back to his country. “CSL is expecting much from me in the ICC World Cup Qualifier next year as I am one of the young, formidable bowlers in Sierra Leone and in Africa,” he added.
His Sharjah Club will foot bills doing with his ticket, accommodation, and allowances. He will depart Sierra Leone on November 25, 2025.
CSL Board Chairman Francis Trevor Samura said he is elated to see a Sierra Leonean cricketer getting ready to play in a franchise cricket league of this magnitude where world cricket stars assemble to compete against one another. “To have a Sierra Leonean representative among such calibre of players is a milestone. The player will have the opportunity to create networks beyond the borders of Sierra Leone. Being among stars will help a player learn the culture of winning matches and competitions. Samuel will help sell the good image of Sierra Leone,” he said.
On being grateful, Chairman Samura thanked the ILT20 group for making this dream possible for seven players in Africa. “This opportunity stemmed from one of my trips to Dubai,” he revealed.
Conteh started his career cricket in 2018 in Potchefstroom South Africa, in the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier.
He contributed to Sierra Leone’s qualification to the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division 1 Qualifier in Windhoek Namibia in 2019.
He made his debut for the Patriots of Sierra Leone on 19th October, 2021, in Lagos against the Yellow-Greens of Nigeria in the Nigeria-Sierra Leone T20 international Bilateral Series as opener.
In 2021, he was ranked 5th highest wicket-taker in all T20 international series held globally.
So far, he has taken 37 wickets at T20 internationals in 20 innings. This feat adds to his 150 T20 international runs from 20 innings.
At home, he is playing for the Mid-West Cricket Club, which has won the country’s top-tier senior Men’s Cricket league five times in 17 years.
He played for his Saint Edward’s Secondary School Cricket Team. He is a product of CSL’s grassroots Cricket development programme.