Sierra Leone Cricket Association has braced up its preparation ahead of its international tournament set to commence this year in June 2022.
According to President Francis Trevor Samura, both the under 17 female players and 19 players will have to partake in a Bilateral series in Nigeria starting from June to August 2022 this year.
He affirmed that the female player Cricketers and the male have the chance to be part of the massive ICC World qualifiers that are set to kick start in August to October 2022 and that both the female U-17 and under 19 boys will have to engage in an international tournament starting from June to December 2022. He noted that the senior women teams will have to take part in qualifiers from November to December and that they are having (8) international tournaments.
He added that funding has been a serious challenge for the Association considering the International tournament they have at hand and that will be only possible if the funding is there and they are there for calling on the Government and cooperate houses to come to their aid to help them take part in this international tournament. He further that they aim to bring Gold and Silver medals from the under 17 female, the under 19 boys and the senior male team back home and that they are going to this tournament to represent the Country.
“If we win it is for the Country that’s because we are representing the Country as ambassadors,” he said.
Francis Trevor Samura said there are preparations from the Association to start their Cricket domestic league across the country the coming weeks. He said it will continue onto the rainy season until they will go for a break and continue in October; the reason is that they lack indoor playing venues across the Country.
He further that the three International tournaments they participated in – the association is yet to receive its promised by the Government. Samura said they are in need of money to embark on a development projects at Fourah Bay College, Sussex ground and the Provinces. He called on to cooperate houses to help with funding to succeed in their various developmental projects. He disclosed that three of the administrative staff will soon depart for South Africa in administrative training on capacity building.
Samura again said the Association has also kick-start their School Criiio project for School going pupils within the ages of (8) to (15) years to teach them the Sport. The aim is to spread the sport across the country in catching young breed into the discipline.
Over years the Sierra Leone Cricket Association has scouted Young Cricketers through the School project and now they can boost of having six schools in which they operate.
