The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sierra Leone Cricket Association (SLCA), Francis Samura has said that they have been promoted to ICC Africa World Division Two (2) after winning petition against Swaziland.
According to the CEO, this was due to the performance the senior national cricket team put up in the ICC-Africa World Cricket League Division 3 tournament that was hosted in Benoni, Republic of South Africa in 2014.
Sierra Leone finished joint top with Swaziland on 12 points apiece, but edged out for promotion to Africa Division (2) by Swaziland on Net Run Rate difference by close margin.
Swaziland registered and filled in over five illegal Asian players. Two of those players played for Mozambique in 2012 against Sierra Leone and that was considered a clear and flagrant breach of the ICC player’s eligibility regulations.
As a result, Sierra Leone launched a successful petition against Swaziland which cost the job of the former ICC Africa Cricket development Coordinator, Feisal Kimberly.
On that note, ICC ruled that Sierra Leone and Rwanda have been automatically promoted to Africa Division 2.
The national male team will now play in the Division 2 instead of Division (3) playoffs they have been prepared for. A win for Sierra Leone in the forthcoming ICC-Africa Division 2 tournament will see them progressed to Africa Division 1, eyeing Global stage for the first time in the history of the country cricket by a senior national side.
The division (2) will now play in Benoni Republic of South Africa from 16th-18th April 2016. But the team is expected to arrive in South Africa on the 15th and departs 20th April 2016.
By Bernard Turay
Friday February 05, 2016
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