Tanzanian cricket team
Encyclopedia
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.
The Tanzania Cricket Association
became an associate member of the International Cricket Council
(ICC) in 2001, and the national side is currently in Division Four of the World Cricket League
.
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.
Other opponents from further afield also toured, with Tanganyika playing the MCC
in 1957 and 1963, a South African Non-Europeans side in 1958 (who also played Zanzibar) and Pakistan International Airlines
in 1964. 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.
, 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.
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
. Even more improvement was shown in the equivalent tournament two years later, when they won Division Two of the World Cricket League Africa Region
. 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
.
In 2008, Tanzania hosted Division Four
of the World Cricket League
. In this tournament they finished fourth, which meant that they remained in Division Four for the next tournament in 2010
, played in Italy, where they came 4th again,thus remaining for 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four
of the World Cricket League.
or List A cricket:
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
in international cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
matches. Cricket has been played in what is now Tanzania since 1890, and the national side first played in 1951.
The Tanzania Cricket Association
Tanzania Cricket Association
Tanzania Cricket Association is the official governing body of the sport of cricket in Tanzania. Its current headquarters is in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Tanzania Cricket Association is Tanzania's representative at the International Cricket Council and is an associate member and has been a member of...
became an associate member of the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
(ICC) in 2001, and the national side is currently in Division Four of the World Cricket League
World Cricket League
The ICC World Cricket League is a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status, administered by the International Cricket Council. All associate and affiliate members of the ICC are eligible to compete in the league system, which features a promotion...
.
Beginnings of cricket in Tanzania
Cricket was first played in what is now Tanzania on the island of ZanzibarZanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
by the British Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as recreation for the officers and crew. Cricket spread to Tanganyika
Tanganyika
Tanganyika , later formally the Republic of Tanganyika, was a sovereign state in East Africa from 1961 to 1964. It was situated between the Indian Ocean and the African Great Lakes of Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika...
after the British took over the League of Nations mandate
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League...
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.
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.Other opponents from further afield also toured, with Tanganyika playing the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
in 1957 and 1963, a South African Non-Europeans side in 1958 (who also played Zanzibar) and Pakistan International Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines cricket team
Pakistan International Airlines cricket team are a first-class cricket side based in Karachi, Pakistan. They have won the Qaid-i-Azam Trophy more times than anyone else...
in 1964. 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 SolankyJohn Solanky
John William Solanky was a Tanzanian cricketer. A right-handed batsman and right-arm off spin/medium pace bowler, he played for Glamorgan County Cricket Club between 1972 and 1976.-Early life and career:...
, who went on to play for Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
, 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.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
2005 ICC Trophy
Ireland beat Bermuda easily as Ed Joyce made 103 for the hosts in Stormont.----Denmark beat Uganda by 28 runs as Thomas Munkholt Hansen took 6 for 30 to carry Denmark to a 28-run win over Uganda in Muckamore. Denmark made 197 with Henrik Saxe Hansen making 71...
. Even more improvement was shown in the equivalent tournament two years later, when they won Division Two of the World Cricket League Africa Region
World Cricket League Africa Region
The World Cricket League Africa Region or Africa World Cricket League is a one-day cricket tournament organised by the African Cricket Association for non-Test national cricket teams in Africa...
. This result qualified Tanzania for Division Three
2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Three
The 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Three was a cricket tournament played in Darwin, Australia between 27 May and 2 June 2007. The tournament formed part of the qualification structure for the 2011 World Cup as well as part of the wider ICC World Cricket League.At the end of the tournament,...
of the World Cricket League
World Cricket League
The ICC World Cricket League is a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status, administered by the International Cricket Council. All associate and affiliate members of the ICC are eligible to compete in the league system, which features a promotion...
in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in 2007. Tanzania finished sixth in that tournament after losing to Hong Kong
Hong Kong cricket team
The Hong Kong cricket team represents Hong Kong in international cricket. It played its first match in 1866 and has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 1969....
in a play-off, which relegated them to Division Four
2008 ICC World Cricket League Division Four
The 2008 ICC World Cricket League Division Four is a cricket tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which took place between 4 and 11 October 2008 as a part of the ICC World Cricket League and qualifying for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.-Teams:...
.
In 2008, Tanzania hosted Division Four
2008 ICC World Cricket League Division Four
The 2008 ICC World Cricket League Division Four is a cricket tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which took place between 4 and 11 October 2008 as a part of the ICC World Cricket League and qualifying for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.-Teams:...
of the World Cricket League
World Cricket League
The ICC World Cricket League is a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status, administered by the International Cricket Council. All associate and affiliate members of the ICC are eligible to compete in the league system, which features a promotion...
. In this tournament they finished fourth, which meant that they remained in Division Four for the next tournament in 2010
2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Four
The 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Four is a cricket tournament that took place in August 2010 in Italy. It is a part of the World Cricket League competition administered by the International Cricket Council, the international governing body for cricket...
, played in Italy, where they came 4th again,thus remaining for 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four
2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four
The 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four is a cricket tournament due to take place in 2012. It forms part of the ICC World Cricket League and qualifying for the 2015 Cricket World Cup.The host country for this tournament is yet to be announced....
World Cup
- 19751975 Cricket World Cup-Group B:-Knockout stage:-Semifinals:In the best World Cup performance to date by a bowler, Gary Gilmour took six wickets as England were bowled all out for 93 , after falling to 37/7...
–19871987 Cricket World CupThe 1987 Cricket World Cup was the fourth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from October 8 to November 8, 1987 in India and Pakistan — the first held outside England. The format was unchanged from 1983 except for a reduction in the number of overs a team played from 60...
: See East Africa cricket team - 19921992 Cricket World Cup-New Zealand:-Round Robin Stage:Co-hosts New Zealand proved the surprise packet of the tournament, winning their first seven games to finish on top of the table after the round robin. The other hosts, Australia, were one of the pre-tournament favourites but lost their first two matches. They...
–20032003 Cricket World Cup-Group stage tables and results:The top three teams from each pool qualify for the next stage, carrying forward the points already scored against fellow qualifiers, plus a quarter of the points scored against the teams that failed to qualify.-Pool A:...
: See East and Central Africa cricket team - 20072007 Cricket World CupThe 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
: Did not qualify
World Cricket League
- 2007: Division Three2007 ICC World Cricket League Division ThreeThe 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Three was a cricket tournament played in Darwin, Australia between 27 May and 2 June 2007. The tournament formed part of the qualification structure for the 2011 World Cup as well as part of the wider ICC World Cricket League.At the end of the tournament,...
Sixth place - 2008: Division Four2008 ICC World Cricket League Division FourThe 2008 ICC World Cricket League Division Four is a cricket tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which took place between 4 and 11 October 2008 as a part of the ICC World Cricket League and qualifying for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.-Teams:...
Fourth place - 2010: Division Four2010 ICC World Cricket League Division FourThe 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division Four is a cricket tournament that took place in August 2010 in Italy. It is a part of the World Cricket League competition administered by the International Cricket Council, the international governing body for cricket...
Fourth place
ICC World Cup Qualifier
- 19791979 ICC TrophyCanada proved too strong for Malaysia, Rasiah Ratnalingham's excellent analysis of 12-5-18-3 not enough to stop the Canadians winning by 44 runs thanks to 77 from Cecil Marshall and 4-33 from John Vaughan...
–19861986 ICC TrophyThe 1986 ICC Trophy was a limited-overs cricket tournament held in England between 11 June and 7 July 1986. It was the third ICC Trophy tournament to be staged, and as with the previous two tournaments, games between the 16 participating teams played over 60 overs a side and with white clothing and...
: See East Africa cricket team - 19901990 ICC TrophyThe 1990 ICC Trophy was a limited-overs cricket tournament held in the Netherlands between 4 June and 23 June 1990. It was the fourth ICC Trophy tournament to be staged, and the first to be held outside England. It was also the first ICC Trophy competition to have a title sponsor, being known...
–20012001 ICC TrophyThe 2001 ICC Trophy was a cricket tournament played in Ontario, Canada in 2001. It was the qualifying tournament for the 2003 Cricket World Cup...
: See East and Central Africa cricket team - 20052005 ICC TrophyIreland beat Bermuda easily as Ed Joyce made 103 for the hosts in Stormont.----Denmark beat Uganda by 28 runs as Thomas Munkholt Hansen took 6 for 30 to carry Denmark to a 28-run win over Uganda in Muckamore. Denmark made 197 with Henrik Saxe Hansen making 71...
: Did not qualify
The future
In 2012, they will again compete in Division Four2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four
The 2012 ICC World Cricket League Division Four is a cricket tournament due to take place in 2012. It forms part of the ICC World Cricket League and qualifying for the 2015 Cricket World Cup.The host country for this tournament is yet to be announced....
of the World Cricket League.
Records
- Highest team total: 406/8 v Uganda, 7 September 1968
- Highest individual score: 195 by Suresh Rawal v Kenya, 5 September 1970
- Best innings bowling: 7/5 by Shashikant Patel for Tanganyika v Kenya, 23 July 1960
Recent squad
The following players have recently represented Tanzania between 2002 and 2009:- Rishen Patel
- Abhik Patwa
- Shaheed Dhanani
- Athumani Kakonzi
- Hamisi Abdallah (CaptainCaptain (cricket)The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
) - Khalil Rehmtullah
- Benson Mwita
- Bhavesh Govind
- Mihir Gajjar
- Kassim Nassoro
- Imran Bhaloo
- Hasnain Damji
- Issa Kikasi
- Akshay Reddy
- Nilesh Gupta
Other players
The following players played for Tanzania or Tanganyika and also played first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
or List A cricket:
- Pranlal DivechaPranlal DivechaPranlal Divecha played cricket for Tanzania between 1967 and 1972 and also played first-class cricket for East Africa.-Career:...
- played one first-class match for East Africa. - Praful MehtaPraful MehtaPraful Shantilal Mehta was an East African cricketer. He played one One day International in the 1975 World Cup....
- played a One-Day InternationalOne-day InternationalA One Day International is a form of limited overs cricket, in which a fixed number of overs, usually 50, but in the past 40, 45 or 60 overs, are played between two teams with international status. The Cricket World Cup is played in this format...
for East Africa in 1975. - CD PatelC. D. PatelC. D. Patel played cricket for Tanzania between 1956 and 1967 and for Zambia between 1968 and 1972. A right-handed batsman and off spin bowler, he also played first-class cricket for East Africa.-Career:...
- played for East Africa in 1967. - RD PatelR. D. Patel (cricketer)RD Patel played cricket for Tanganyika/Tanzania between 1957 and 1968, and also played three first-class matches in the 1960s.-Career:...
- played three first-class matches in the 1960s. - Malcolm RonaldsonMalcolm RonaldsonMalcolm Bruce Ronaldson was a South African cricketer. A right-handed batsman, he played first-class cricket for Eastern Province in 1938 and later played for Tanganyika and East Africa in the 1950s.-Biography:...
- Played for Eastern ProvinceEastern Province cricket teamEastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...
in 1937/38. - John SolankyJohn SolankyJohn William Solanky was a Tanzanian cricketer. A right-handed batsman and right-arm off spin/medium pace bowler, he played for Glamorgan County Cricket Club between 1972 and 1976.-Early life and career:...
- Played for GlamorganGlamorgan County Cricket ClubGlamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
between 1972 and 1976. - Shiraz SumarShiraz SumarShiraz Sumar was an East African cricketer. He played one One day International in the 1975 World Cup....
- Played an ODI for East Africa in 1975. - Vasant TapuVasant TapuVasant Tapu Harji Chavda, usually known as Vasant Tapu was a Tanzanian cricketer. A left-handed batsman and left-arm fast-medium/left-arm orthodox spin bowler, he played for the Tanzania national cricket team between 1967 and 1974 and also played first-class cricket for East Africa.-Biography:Born...
- Played two first-class matches for East Africa.