They are trailblazers in their own right and indeed first among peers as Nigeria U-19 cricket national team made history to qualify for the World Cup. For the first time, the country’s flag will be hoisted the first time at the 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup come January, reports Sport Editor MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.
The 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup is an international limited-overs cricket tournament scheduled to be held in South Africa between 17th January and 9th February 2020. It will be the thirteenth edition of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, and the second to be held in South Africa. Sixteen teams will be taking part in the tournament; split into four groups of four. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super League, with the bottom two teams in each group progressing to the Plate League.
Hitherto, Nigeria Under-19 cricket team, otherwise known as the Junior Yellow-Greens, took part in the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup qualification ICC Africa Division One tournament, held in Namibia.
The Nigerian ‘teen terrors’ runs at United Cricket Club Ground in Windhoek, defeated pre-tournament favourites and hosts Namibia by 52 , Kenya by 58 runs and Uganda by 30 runs to win the tournament and qualified for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa for the first time.
“There are times I will sit and just think ‘are we the teams that qualified Nigeria for the 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup?’” Okpe Sylvester, the U-19 Nigeria Cricket Team captain, beaming with smiles, said in an interview. “I keep asking myself: is it a miracle or am I still dreaming?
“On the fifth ball where we had like two runs to win, which we were so close, we were all standing at the side line waiting to see the final runs being scored by Aho Peter,” he stated.
Sylvester, though still a teenager, has shown remarkable leadership over time and he’s regarded as one of the spines of the team under Coach Uthe Ogbimi.
He said the feat achieved by the team in Namibia was as a result of doggedness on the part of the lads especially in the final qualifier when things seemed to be skewed against them.
He shared his experience: “I was in the dressing room praying and thinking, so when I went out we lost another wicket and I was just sitting drinking water. I almost ate the bottle water cover.
“On that day, they were bowling very well straight to the storms and they were not giving any chances. I don’t really know why they played like that but I think they were trying to make a statement, they played to win and they were coming hard at us.”
But as it is well said, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough gets going’ and, thankfully, the energetic Peter Aho rose to the occasion by hitting the runs that secured Nigeria the historic qualification for the 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup
“As I was going into bats, I believed the coach had the belief that I could play, so I just wanted to play simple cricket to just try and play the basics of the game and it was spontaneous,” Aho, the batsman who plays club cricket in Edo State with Foundation Cricket Club, said matter-of-factly.
Joseph Oche Onoja, the Junior Yellow Greens manager, gave a more graphic presentation of Aho’s heroics in that final game against Sierra Leone: “I continued praying that God should give us the game, but I know Peter Aho is a pocket rocket; he can cause any damage for anybody but apart from that, sometimes, I always say sometimes, it’s not the technical of the game alone, prayer, prayer moves mountain.”
Yet, the steady progress of the Junior Yellow Greens under the current Nigeria Cricket Foundation is not only about prayers but a dint of hard work.
Few years back, the federation instituted the NCF/PWC Naija Kids Cricket project in order to increase awareness and appreciation of the sport by Nigerian youngsters with campaign and training across the country.
Erstwhile national cricket team captain, Endurance Ofem, had earlier in the year hinted that the youngsters were certainly the ones for the future, when pressed about the growth and development of the sport.
“I think number one factor limiting against the steady growth of cricket in Nigeria as compared with countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, for instance, is the level of popularity of the game,” Ofem, who is currently the players’ representative on the board of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF), told The Nation .
“People don’t really know the game here and this is because only the elite schools played the game a few decades back. This is a key factor militating against the present growth.
“But we have a few potential from the U19s and if properly managed, we should start seeing results within two to three years. Taiwo Muhammed (Lagos-based left arm fast bowler), Okpe Sylvester from Kaduna, Aho Peter from Edo, Rasheed Abolarin from Ilorin, Olaleye Elijah and Runsewe from Oyo; I think they will go places,” added Ofem who was a wicketkeeper in his heyday.
In a month’s time at the2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, the Junior Yellow Greens will have its hands full after being drawn in Group B that has super powers like Australia, England and West Indies.
India is the defending champions while Nigeria along with Japan (East Asia Pacific) will be making their debut in the competition as they are joined by other regional qualifiers Canada (Americas), United Arab Emirates (Asia) and Scotland (Europe).
Hosts South Africa, who staged the 1998 edition and were champions in 2014, play their opening match at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley on January 17. Nigeria will face Australia in Kimberley on 20th Jan for their opening game.
India have won the title four times, Australia have won three times, Pakistan have won it twice while England, South Africa and the West Indies have won once each.
But there are reasons to be positive within the rank and file of NCF.
NCF president, Professor Yahaya Ukwenya, is upbeat, adding that the support of the Minister for Youths and Sports Development has added fillip as the team prepares in earnest for the forthcoming contest against the rest of the world.
“We have readied our team for optimum performance; we had almost six-month camping for the team including getting some of the key bowlers and batsmen for specialised enhancement courses,” he said shortly before the team’s departure for their pre world Cup camping in South Africa.“ Their departure for the event on December 8th is a clear forty-three days before the event begins. It is a deliberate part of the plan to make the team’s first show at the global stage an impressive outing.”
Vice President of the cricket federation, Uyi Akpata, said the NCF has set some bars for the players that they won’t like to make public, although he vouches on the team’s character as they face the Herculean task against the much experienced Australia, West Indies, and England.
He offered: “We have a team that has grown in confidence through their Division Two qualification last year. They went to the World Cup qualification event in Division 1 as an underdog like they are now and they grinded out results coming back with the sole ticket available.
“They are a team to be ignored at your peril. We have watched them grow and develop, and I can assure you that these players have surprise up their sleeves.”
The closing batting in Nigeria’s last qualification match against Sierra Leone in Namibia last year that saw the entire team rush to the pitch in jubilation has amassed massive views on International Cricket Council’s Youtube channel – a testament to the fun, skilfulness and an element of surprise that could make the team matches rack up viewership when their matches get underway.
Of the team of 18 players pencilled for the World Cup campaign, none is dispensable, according to Captain Sylvester Okpe.
“I have played the game at several levels and I can say that the present crop of players are such a wonderful bunch. I believe we will make some impact at the World
Cup,” a confident Okpe said.
“We have practically been on training for the better part of 2019. The World Cup in January will be the ground for us to show the result of the many changes that the team has gone through since the qualifier early last year,” Okpe added.
On the eve of their departure to South Africa, Sport Minister Dare saluted the doggedness of the team towards their historic qualification even as he charged them to gird their loins at the World Cup, come January .
“The first time in a hundred years (that our u-19 team will qualify for the world Cup), that, for me, is a very important milestone in sports development in this country,” noted Dare.
“It shows that there’s nothing when it comes to sport that Nigerians put their hands on that they cannot excel.
“This team will go there and do Nigeria proud. They are going there not for trials but to compete against the best and when you look at the profiles of these teams, it is very intimidating but you must play the game and win.
“Sometimes when you lose, you have also won because you have competed with the best. The fact that you are on the same platform and pedestal at the World Cup shows that you are good enough to compete, so bear that in mind when you step out to play,” advised Dare.
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