National U-19 men’s cricket team coach, Daniel Gim, has chosen teen star, Abdulkareem Ridwan, as captain of the side, which is preparing for the eighth-nation Africa Division 2 World Cup qualifier billed to hold in Abuja from September 30 to October 9.
Gim, a former national player, who is now International Cricket Council certified level 2 coach, said that the country, in the past few years, has made statements with its youth side, adding that he is confident his team will justify Nigeria Cricket Federation’s (NCF) investment in it.
“We are hosts, and that on its own, comes with some level of expectation, but with the level of skill and management in place, I am sure the team will eke out respectable performance for the country when the game starts.
“Ridwan and his team mates are a major part of the cricket evolution and he has shown leadership,” he said. He listed the participating teams in the qualifier as Kenya, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Rwanda, Ghana, Mozambique, Botswana and Nigeria.
They are expected to produce one finalist that will move to the next stage of the qualifying series in Division 1. NCF’s Technical Director, Joseph Eshua, explained that the board has made arrangements to prepare the team properly and also the country plays good host to all the other seven countries featuring in the event.