ZIMBABWE senior men’s cricket team will be looking to Kenya to do them a favour against second-placed Uganda and boost their slim chances of qualifying when the two sides clash in the International Cricket Council T-20 World Cup qualifying match in Windhoek, Namibia, this afternoon.
The locals find themselves facing another humiliation of failing to qualify for the T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by West Indies and the US next year as they currently sit in fourth position with four points after two wins and two defeats. Only the top two teams at the conclusion of the ongoing qualifiers are guaranteed slots at the global stage.
Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the 50 overs World Cup in India after losing to Scotland and Sri Lanka during a qualifying tournament that was hosted in Harare and Bulawayo.
Hosts Namibia with a 100% record lead the seven-team log table with eight points. Uganda and Kenya are tied on six points to occupy second and third positions due to the net run rate.
Uganda only needs to win its remaining two fixtures starting with neighbours Kenya this afternoon. On the other hand, Kenya also needs to take care of its own business by accounting for Uganda and finish off Zimbabwe in their final encounter tomorrow.
Zimbabwe, who have resigned to fate after losses against Namibia and Uganda, however stand an outside chance of gate-crashing into next year’s World Cup. This is only possible should the Chevrons see off Nigeria first in their clash this morning.
They need Kenya to be party spoilers against Uganda.
Zimbabwe will then have to beat Kenya tomorrow in their last fixture of the campaign, meaning all the three teams; Zimbabwe, Uganda and Kenya would have lost twice in the tournament.
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The Chevrons have a healthy run rate of 2,276 against Uganda and Kenya’s respective 0,503 and 0,481.
The east African sides have met 12 times in T20 cricket between 2019 and 2023, with Uganda enjoying a 63.63 percent winning ratio to Kenya’s 36.36 which spells doom to the Chevrons’ aspirations of sailing through to the T20 World Cup. Uganda managed to win seven times and Kenya beat their counterparts four times with one match ending in a no result affair.
However, this being a tournament with all to play for, it does not need any motivation for either side to win because everyone is eyeing a slot at next year’s World Cup.
The Chevrons find themselves in between a rock and a hard place and only a win by Kenya this afternoon will give them a good night's sleep.
