When people think of Nigeria and sports, they more than likely think of football and some of the great footballers that they have had over the years. One sport that most people will never associate with Nigeria is cricket, but believe it or not, it has a growing fan base at home. Below we are going to have a look at the progress that Nigerian cricket made in 2020 as well as what 2021 could have in store for it.
U19 Squad Makes History
In January of 2020, the U19 Nigeria cricket team made history as they became the first Nigerians to represent their country at a Cricket World Cup. They struggled to compete against the big teams as they were bowled out for 61, 57, and 58 in their three Group Stage matches. However, they did get their first win against Japan to finish 15th. They probably did not put in the performances that they wanted, but there can be no doubt that the experience will help them to grow as cricketers.
Pandemic Causes Disruptions
When they returned to Africa, they were due to travel to Kenya a week later to take part in the Africa Cricket Association Tournament, but the pandemic broke out and restrictions were put in place to stop the spread. This meant that the event was cancelled. However, despite the difficulties that 2020 brough, the Nigerian Cricket Federation (NCF) still made some impressive strides in their aim to develop Nigerian cricket, and 2021 can definitely be a prosperous year for Nigerian cricket.
Professor Adam Ukwenya, the President of the NFC, said that during lockdown they reviewed programs, annual events, budget allocation, and decided to maximise their online sources to make sure that 2020 did not go completely to waste. Based on the work that they did during the lockdown, it is fair to say that they did not let any momentum they built up go to waste.
Increased Cricket at School
One of the aims of the NFC is to increase the number of children playing cricket each year by 150,000-300,000. Following the success that the U19s team had to qualify for the U19 World Cup, it appears that junior cricket is going to be the main focus of the NFC as developing younger players will ultimately have an effect on how successful the national team will be.
To kick-start this new campaign of theirs, they are waiting for 2000 sets of school cricket to arrive from India. There are many children who do not partake in cricket because they cannot afford the equipment, but the arrival of gear from India will break the barrier that prevents participation.
An Online Revolution
Nigerian cricket was the centre of cricket news for a little while when it was announced that Asanka Gurusinha, a former Sri Lanka international, was to become their head coach. However, the reveal also broke new grounds as the whole process was done online. The process included shortlisting, advertisement, contract signing, and interviews. Working online is something that has become normal during 2020 across the world, but it does represent some challenges for organizations. When reflecting on 2020, Ukwenya declared that a lesson that can be taken away from 2020 is that using online resources was an efficient and cost-effective way to run their cricket.
A Look Ahead
For most people, the start of a new year is a chance to set themselves new goals and to think about upcoming opportunities. The NCF definitely has clear goals and are planning to make the most of 2021.
On the domestic scene, the NFC want to restructure domestic cricket to accelerate growth. They will expect a lot more from school and regional competitions this year. The NCF have a linear selection method when choosing their squads, and an increase in competitive matches will have an impact on national selection, and with plenty of international matches planned for 2021, domestic tournaments will be very important for Nigeria's cricketers. Everyone will be wanting to do their best in domestic competitions to put their name in the hat to be selected for the international team.
U19 Men's Team
Ukwenya has given an insight into how the U19s team is going to be chosen and developed - they are going to build the 2021 U19 team using players that participated in the National U17 Tournament. There are some boys over seventeen that did not play in the World Cup but are eligible for selection. There are also some younger members of the squad that played at the World Cup that are still eligible to play. We have learnt a lot over the years about developing and preparing a team and this experience will be vital when we invest in younger and newer boys.
It is vital that they get the selection process spot on because in September they will be hosting the ICC African U19 Division 1 tournament, which will see Nigeria take on Uganda, Namibia, and two other sides from Division 2. This competition gives Nigeria an opportunity to qualify for another U19 World Cup, which is going to be held in the Caribbean this time around.
When asked about what players to keep an eye out for, he mentioned the likes of Chidi Onwubualili, Pacy Ncube Nwokike, Theophilus Jeremiah, and Paul Pam. He believes that these players are the future of cricket in Nigeria.
Men's and Women's National Team
Employing Gurusinha as coach of the men's team will have an impact on the women's team as well. When discussing developing the men's team, Ukwenya declared that the NCF expect an immediate impact by Gurusinha on the way that the senior players compete especially when it comes to fitness, game management, and fielding. In 2021, the men's team will compete at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier that is being hosted in Nigeria. They will also compete at the ACA T20.
The women's team will be competing at the Female Invitationals in Botswana and Rwanda later this year, and these competitions will hopefully lead to better performance at the 2021 ICC Women's T20 Qualifiers.
Final Reflections
Based on the hard work that the NCF put in throughout 2020, 2021 has the potential of being a very exciting year for Nigerian cricket. One aspect that seems vital to the development of the national teams is Gurusinha. The focus on international and domestic expansion should mean that cricket in Nigeria will be able to grow. However, only time will be able to reveal just how much of an impact the off-field antics of the NCF will have on the on-field antics.
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