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Eyes
On Africa : A Special Feature by Hemant Sharma
from Lusaka, Zambia |
For most of us, the great game of Cricket means the World. And this world-sport is truly capable to become one of the most popular sports of them all.
So far, the world of cricket has been confined to the reigns of a few nations & regions. With only 10 test playing nations, the game's expansion is anything but achieved. But the craze for this sport is no longer confined to the traditional cricketing nations anymore.
The governing body of the game, ICC is truly working very hard in full earnest to take the game to the far reaches of the globe.
To help the game gain recognition and awareness globally,
Cricketfundas.com has decided to cover the advent of the gentleman's game and its progress and happenings around the world. And to begin this unique endeavor, we are starting from the continent where it all began.
The Cradle of humanity.... "AFRICA"
This special "Cricketfundas.com- Eyes on Africa" initiative is a window for the world to see, know and support the game of cricket in Africa.
Click here to know all about the
2004 ICC Africa WC Qualifier Tournament
Africa is primarily a soccer crazy continent. Till
recent, the game of cricket was just a game of minorities. Being a game coming from the British, it was not a common man's game. Even in the traditional Cricketing nations like South Africa and Zimbabwe, the game was predominantly for-whites only. The game was too expensive or too snobbish for the majority of the people of Africa. But time changes everything.
There was a time when an all-white Proteas refused to play a not so white England, and now the game is cleared of all previous forms of negative
practices. Cricket is not just a white man's game anymore. The hard works of the communities and cricket development people have made sure that the game grows beyond the racial boundaries and colours of skin and is endeavoring to ensure that there is a continuous supply of future Makhaya Ntinis , Henry Olongas and Maurice Odumbes into this great game. The role of the Asian communities can never be undermined for it was them who took the game to the non-whites.
Cricket is growing in Africa. The problems faced by africa's second test playing nation - Zimbabwe are worrying, but its hoped that a fair outcome will be the result sooner than later. African face of cricket is dominated by the cricket super power South Africa at present. The other major Cricketing nations in the continent include Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,
Nigeria, Morocco and others.
Serious cricket in Africa dates back to the first limited overs World Cup in 1975 in England, where the East Africa Confederation XI comprising players from Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya participated. Since the 1996 ICC
World Cup Kenya have become the newest face of rising African cricket with victories against the mighty West Indies. But the crowning glory of Kenyan Cricket was to reach the final 4 in the 2003 ICC World Cup in South Africa, where they lost to India in the
Semifinals.
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