Tanzanian cricketers to visit Australia

Here’s a piece of news that I’m just catching up with. Cricinfo reports that the Tanzania cricket team will be coming to Australia in May to participate in the ICC World Cricket League Division Three competition.

It will be played in Darwin between 27 May and 6 June 2007. I wonder how much we will see broadcast? I guess that Cricinfo will be my best resource to find out how things are going.

Captain: Hamisi Abdullah

The ICC runs international cricket. Apart from the top tier Test competition, there are five divisions for international competition, so it is to Tanzania’s credit that they made it into the Third Division. Neighbouring Kenya is the leading African cricket team and they are playing in the First Division. The teams playing in the Third Division in Darwin will be –

• Argentina, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Hong Kong, Italy, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania and Uganda

The US team had won a place in the Third Division, but they have been suspended from the ICC due to issues of poor governance (whatever that means). So here is one field where Tanzania is outperforming the mighty USA. Then, again, the current corruption scandal around Wolfowitz of the World Bank suggests that Tanzanian officials are no worse than officials in other countries when it comes to correct behaviour.

To prepare for Darwin, the Tanzanian team has travelled to India for a 20-day training spell. Cricket was brought to Tanzania by British and Asian residents in the late 1800s. It has been reinvigorated in recent years and is supported by development initiatives for juniors and women’s cricket, coordinated by Tanzania Cricket.

Somehow, it seems important to know that a Tanzanian national sporting team has opportunities to participate in international sporting events. It’s all part of the complex web of exchanges that keep us connected.

Cricket

Bushfires aren't the only sign of summer in Australia. The other big indicator is the start of the cricket season.

Justin Langer opens for Australia in the first test match at the Gabba

Like any seasonal event, cricket sometimes dominates the horizon and sometimes ticks along in the background . This is a BIG year. England is touring and we are determined to win back the Ashes.

England's team are all under 30 years, while Australia is fielding a team of old hands all of whom are over 30, except Michael Clarke, aka 'Puppy'.

I love cricket. The most strategic and complicated game of all sports, it has a grand history of spectacular performances, passions and gaffs as well as a whole rainbow of personalities including players, umpires and commentators.

What are the national sporting passions of Tanzania, I wonder? Perhaps the struggle for a basic existence leaves little energy for formal sport. But then, Ethiopia has cornered the market on long distance running. Maybe the German influence in East Africa planted the seed of soccer in the country.

The kids at the School of St Jude are getting a great education that gives them a world-class foundation in literacy, knowledge and critical thinking, as well as a strong ethical perspective.

Along recruiting and training all the staff, working through many issues, not to mention fundraising and putting up a new building each year, the school is establishing a sports program.
Gemma included the following picture in a recent newsletter.

School of St Jude Football Team

She wrote:
I realised our soccer (or ‘football’ to you non-Aussies!) and netball clubs were training successfully when the leaders asked if they could invite a local school, St Thomas, for some friendly games one afternoon. The whole school enjoyed the spirited performances of all our teams and exerted as much energy off the field as there was on it with singing and barracking for the St Jude’s players! Luckily the scores were pretty even so the St Thomas team should be happy to join us for another great afternoon of exciting soccer and netball later in the year.

There's plenty to celebrate when kids who suffer all the disadvantages of extreme poverty can eat, learn, and play games, thanks to the School of St Jude.