Tanzania national cricket team

Infobox non test cricket team
country_name = Tanzania

---

image_caption = Flag of Tanzania
icc_member_year = 2001
icc_status = Associate member
icc_region = Africa
current_captain = Hamisi Abdallah
WCL_division = Four
regional_tournament = World Cricket League Africa Region
regional_tournament_division = Two
first_match = 1 December 1951 v Kenya at Nairobi Club Ground
asofdate = 10 August 2008

The Tanzania national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Tanzania in international cricket matches. Cricket has been played in what is now Tanzania since 1890, and the national side first played in 1951.Encyclopedia of World Cricket by Roy Morgan, Sportsbooks Publishing, 2007]

The Tanzania Cricket Association became an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001, [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Countries/88.html Tanzania] at CricketArchive] and the national side is currently in Division Four of the World Cricket League. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/TOURNAMENTS/GLOBAL/WCL/structure0609.pdf Structure of the World Cricket League 2006-2009] ]

History

Beginnings of cricket in Tanzania

Cricket was first played in what is now Tanzania on the island of Zanzibar by the British Navy as recreation for the officers and crew. Cricket spread to Tanganyika after the British took over the League of Nations mandate in 1919.

Cricket began to be concentrated mostly on the coast and on Zanzibar, with particular development in Dar-es-Salaam. The Indian population quickly took up the game and by the 1930s formed the majority of the players, with a significant European minority.

National side

Early matches

Distance between Tanganyika and other countries in East Africa meant that the first international wasn't played until 1951, when Tanganyika lost by an innings to Kenya. Occasional matches against Kenya and Uganda continued throughout the 1950s and Zanzibar also played matches against Uganda, beginning in 1956. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/TZN/1956_TZN_Uganda_in_Zanzibar_1956.html Uganda in Zanzibar 1956] at CricketArchive]

Other opponents from further afield also toured, with Tanganyika playing the MCC in 1957 [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/137/137559.html Scorecard] of Tanganyika v MCC, 28 December 1957 at CricketArchive] and 1963, [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/TZN/1963-64_TZN_Marylebone_Cricket_Club_in_East_Africa_1963-64.html MCC in East Africa 1963/64] at CricketArchive] a South African Non-Europeans side in 1958 (who also played Zanzibar) [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/TZN/1958-59_TZN_South_African_Non-Europeans_in_East_Africa_1958-59.html South African Non-Europeans in East Africa 1958/59] at CricketArchive] and Pakistan International Airlines in 1964. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/TZN/1964_TZN_Pakistan_International_Airlines_in_East_Africa_1964.html Pakistan International Airlines in East Africa 1964] at CricketArchive] The occasional matches against Kenya and Uganda eventually led to a formal triangular tournament being introduced in 1967, later to become a quadrangular tournament with the addition of Zambia.

Decline

As many businesses were nationalised in the early 1970s, much of the Indian and British population began to left the country. Cricketers, including John Solanky, who went on to play for Glamorgan, were amongst those who left the country, and standards went into decline.

Since the 1970s, the Tanzania Cricket Association has concentrated on developing the game amongst the African communities, and the national side now contains between 20-25% African players. The national side returned to form in the mid-1990s, when they were runners-up in two Africa-wide tournaments in 1994 and 1995, though there was again a slight decline in the late 1990s.

ICC membership

The Tanzania Cricket Association became an associate member of the ICC in 2001 (Tanzania had previously played international cricket as part of the combined East Africa and East and Central Africa teams) opening up new opportunities for Tanzanian cricket. The first matches for the national side as an ICC member were in the 2002 Africa Cup where they lost all four of their matches. [ [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2002/TOURNAMENTS/AFRICACUP/about.shtml 2002 Africa Cup] at CricketEurope]

They showed improvement by the Africa Cricket Association Championship in 2004, where they still finished last, but did beat Zambia in the final match of the tournament, which was a qualifying event for the 2005 ICC Trophy. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/ICCT2005/DATABASE/QUALIFYING/africa.shtml Africa qualifying for the 2005 ICC Trophy] at tournament official website] Even more improvement was shown in the equivalent tournament two years later, when they won Division Two of the World Cricket League Africa Region. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Events/Tables/ICC_World_Cricket_League_Africa_Region_Division_Two_2006.html Points Table for ICC World Cricket League Africa Region Division Two 2006] at CricketArchive] This result qualified Tanzania for Division Three of the World Cricket League in Darwin in 2007. Tanzania finished sixth in that tournament after losing to Hong Kong in a play-off, which relegated them to Division Four. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES/articles/000046/004698.shtml Uganda lift Division Three title] by Andrew Nixon, 2 June 2007 at CricketEurope]

Tournament History

World Cup

*1975–1987: See East Africa cricket team
*1992–2003: See East and Central Africa cricket team
*2007: Did not qualify

World Cricket League

Division Three

*2007: Sixth place

ICC World Cup Qualifier

*1979–1986: See East Africa cricket team
*1990–2001: See East and Central Africa cricket team
*2005: Did not qualify

World Cricket League Africa Region

Division Two

*2006: Winners

The future

In October 2008, Tanzania will host Division Four of the World Cricket League. They will play Fiji, Hong Kong, Italy and the two teams promoted from Division Five - Afghanistan and Jersey. [ [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES2/articles/000034/003487.shtml Afghanistan and Jersey move on to WCL Division Four] at World Cricket League Division Five official website]

Records

*Highest team total: 406/8 v Uganda, 7 September 1968 [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/KENYA/1968_KENYA_East_African_Quadrangular_Tournament_1968.html East African Quadrangular Tournament 1968] at CricketArchive]
*Highest individual score: 195 by Suresh Rawal v Kenya, 5 September 1970 [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/151/151535.html Scorecard] of Kenya v Tanzania, 5 September 1970 at CricketArchive]
*Best innings bowling: 7/5 by Shashikant Patel for Tanganyika v Kenya, 23 July 1960 [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/TZN/1960_TZN_Kenya_in_Tanganyika_1960.html Kenya in Tanganyika 1970] at CricketArchive]

Players

Recent squad

The following players represented Tanzania in their most recent match, against Hong Kong in 2007: [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/122/122319.html Scorecard] of Hong Kong v Tanzania, 2 June 2007]

*Rishen Patel
*Abhik Patwa
*Shaheed Dhanani
*Athumani Kakonzi
*Hamisi Abdallah (Captain)
*Khalil Rehmtullah
*Benson Mwita
*Bhavesh Govind
*Kassim Nassoro
*Hasnain Damji
*Issa Kikasi

Other players

The following players played for Tanzania or Tanganyika and also played first-class or List A cricket:

*Pranlal Divecha - played one first-class match for East Africa. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/26/26654/26654.html Pranlal Divecha] at CricketArchive]
*Praful Mehta - played a One-Day International for East Africa in 1975. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/1/1473/1473.html Praful Mehta] at CricketArchive]
*CD Patel - played for East Africa in 1967. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/26/26665/26665.html CD Patel] at CricketArchive]
*RD Patel - played three first-class matches in the 1960s. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/26/26669/26669.html RD Patel] at CricketArchive]
*Malcolm Ronaldson - Played for Eastern Province in 1937/38. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/25/25921/25921.html Malcolm Ronaldson] at CricketArchive]
*John Solanky - Played for Glamorgan between 1972 and 1976. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/4/4747/4747.html John Solanky] at CricketArchive]
*Shiraz Sumar - Played an ODI for East Africa in 1975. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/1/1465/1465.html Shiraz Sumar] at CricketArchive]
*Vasant Tapu - Played two first-class matches for East Africa. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/26/26676/26676.html Vasant Tapu] at CricketArchive]

ee also

*East Africa cricket team
*East and Central Africa cricket team

External links

* [http://www.tanzaniacricket.com/ Official website]

References