NCF hosts U-19 cricketers, unfolds plans for international partnership

The board of Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) has hosted players of the national U-19 cricket team after their maiden world cup outing in South Africa.

The reception was held at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Lagos on Tuesday.

Nigeria lost her first five matches at the world cup to Australia, West Indies, England, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates before nicking her only win by 8 wickets against Japan to place 15 out of the 16 at the event.

During the reception, Uyi Akpata, vice-president of the NCF, said the world cup appearance had helped Nigeria to forge developmental partnerships with some of the best cricketing nations, which he said would reflect on the NCF’s grassroots agenda soon.

“The World Cup has proved very fruitful for us and we are judging our achievement there by the useful partnerships we formed with other top nations who see value and potential in the players we paraded, among other positives,” Akpata said.

The federation’s VP said West Indies and Australia offered to assist the NCF in its grassroots programme.

“We went to the World Cup with a strategic agenda and it is wrapped around building the core of Nigeria’s future teams at the senior and under 17 levels and it worked well for us,” he also said.

Last week, Yahaya Ukwenya, president of the federation, had in South Africa said that the new senior national team that would feature in the forthcoming Africa Cricket Association T-20 Championship in Nairobi (Kenya) in March would have some of the U-19 as contingent members.

Sylvester Okpe, captain of the U-19 team, said it was a privilege to serve the country at this level, adding that a brighter future awaited the country.

The world cup was Nigeria’s first global outing in 105 years history of the sport in the country.

Enesi Dahiru, the federation’s technical director, also disclosed that the senior national team would resume camping soon. He added that six members of the U-19 players have been identified to make the team.

“Ultimately we want to build a new, more focused national team and maintain a clear conduit that would continually churn out talents year after year for every level of play,” Dahiru said.