South Africa, Zimbabwe's matches at African Games not given T20I status
Mar 25, 2024
Johannesburg [South Africa], March 25 : Due to some "oversight in communication", some cricket matches held at the recently-concluded African Games have received a T20I status while others have not.
The ICC confirmed to ESPNCricinfo that matches involving South Africa's men's and women's teams and Zimbabwe's men's team were not given the T20I status, but matches involving the other six men's teams and seven women's teams did receive that status. African Games were held from March 8-23 this year.
The men's competition had eight teams - South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, hosts Ghana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Namibia.
Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania and Namibia competed in the women's section.
Clarity over the official standing of these matches was needed after Cricket South Africa (CSA) wrote to ICC regarding confusion if all the matches held at the Games were given an international status. Back in 2022, an ICC document named "Classification of Official Cricket" gave a T20I status to all games that are "played in accordance with the ICC Standard Men's and Women's Twenty20 International Playing Conditions and other ICC regulations pertaining to Twenty20 International Matches", apart from matches involving 'A' teams and age-group teams.
South Africa sent the emerging women's side and university men's team to the matches as they could not gather full-strength squads due to players' commitments elsewhere. Zimbabwe sent their under-25 side, which secured gold in both men's and women's categories.
The other participating countries, who are all Associate nations, sent their strongest available sides and understood themselves to be playing internationals, creating the confusion. It is not clear whether the onus lay with the African Games, the Africa Cricket Association (the continental body which successfully lobbied for cricket to be played at the Africa Games) or individual board to check on the status of the games or where the miscommunication occurred, according to ESPNCricinfo.
When the uncertainty about the status of the games caught South Africa and Zimbabwe, both full members, they inquired whether it would impact their T20I rankings.
A concern was also raised about the infrastructure in Accra for cricket. CSA expressed worries on suitabilities of venues and on the intervention of ACA, a ground consultant from Zimabwe visited Ghana to help out with readying pitches and outfield.
The African Games were supposed to be held in August last year but as facilities were not completed on time, it was held this year. The event usually takes place every four years, during the year preceding the Olympic Games. During this season, cricket made its debut.
