Heavyweights Kenya, Zimbabwe driven by "past pains" in cricket Africa Sub-Regional Qualifiers

“I knew you were going to ask that question,” Zimbabwe men’s cricket team skipper Raza Sikandar said with a chuckle when I intentionally asked him to cast his eyes back to his team brutally missing the 2024 World Cup spot in the hands of unfavored Uganda.

The pain in the 38-year-old Pakistani-born Zimbabwean all-rounder was visible, as he did his best to sort of brush aside that moment in November 2023, which has now forced one of the top African cricketing nations a step back to the Sub-regional Qualifiers.

Alongside Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, The Gambia and Seychelles, Zimbabwe will from Saturday 19 October fight for a top-two finish in the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-regional Qualifier B scheduled for the Nairobi Gymkhana and Ruaraka Grounds in Nairobi.

Finishing in amongst those positions will give the Chevrons a route back to the regional finals, and maybe an ideal place in the 2026 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India.

But first things first.

“The reality of being a sportsman is that failure and success are part of your journey and that’s where we are at,” Raza, who was joined by five other national captains in Friday’s press briefing at Nairobi Gymkhana said.

“We come here driven by the pain and disappointment from last year but I cannot be more excited with the prospect of our young team going out there and showing that we are back.”

Perhaps with a similar feeling on his immediate left was Kenyan skipper Shem Ngoche, who on top of leading his team in another home tournament - he captained the nation in the recently concluded Cricket World Cup Challenge League - is aware of the high standards his squad has fallen from.

Asked about Kenya’s absence from the world stage since 2011, Ngoche, a part of that team, said: “Of course, this is something that is still on our minds.

It's indeed painful to think about where we were then and where we are now, but I choose to take delight in the strides Cricket Kenya has been making in the last few years that definitely gives us a chance to get back there.”

Having maintained the same 14-man squad that featured in the Challenge League, Ngoche believes the momentum the team built in a fourth-place finish will be enough to take them through to the next round.

“We are very ready for the games, having polished on the areas we needed to work on,” Ngoche said, referring to Kenya’s tendency to drop catches in the long format.

“What is there in the camp is a changed mindset and I know that we have played enough cricket to adapt quickly to the 20 overs.”

An interesting team in the tournament will be Seychelles, who will take the role of “underdogs” as per their skipper Tim Horpinitch.

Looking at the Gymkhana Grounds, Horpinitch said: “I think it's fair for me to say we are quite behind the rest of the nations here.

I think we (Seychelles) got our first grounds that resembles this just three years ago, plus we have not played many international games as our counterparts.”

Rwanda, Mozambique and Gambia will also be in the mix, as two weeks of cricket action begin.

Saturday 19 October fixtures

9:30 AM - Gambia vs Rwanda at Nairobi Gymkhana

1:50 PM - Seychelles vs Zimbabwe at Nairobi Gymkhana

1:50 PM - Kenya vs Mozambique at Ruaraka Sports Club.