TANZANIA's senior national men's cricket team is all set for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B slated for February 7-17 in Hong Kong.

The squad made up of 14 cricketers is, a Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) official said, slated to head to Hong Kong on January 31.

The cricketers constituting the squad are Ally Mpeka, Akhil Anil, Amal Rajeevan, Arslaan Jassani, Ivan Ismail, Khalid Amiri, and skipper Kassim Nassor.

Laksh Snehal, Mohamed Omary, Mohamed Simba, Mohamed Yunus, Mukesh Maker, Rajendra Asuri, and Sivaraj Selvaraj are also in the squad.

Pushpa Kumar is the head coach, former senior national cricket team player Adil Kassam is the team manager, and Nassor is the skipper.

The senior national cricketers, the official said, are determined to make a strong comeback in the second leg of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B.

After a challenging start in Uganda, he stated, the team is focused on improving results and making a statement in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong leg is a vital step on the Road to the 2027 Cricket World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October and November 2027.

The TCA had organized a showdown, termed the TCA 50 Overs Trials Tournament, to gauge the selected national cricketers' skills before playing in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B.

The TCA 50 Overs Trials Tournament, recommended by the senior national squad head coach, took place in Dar es Salaam this month, involving three teams of Tz Green, Tz Blue, and Tz Yellow.

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B participating teams are Bahrain, Italy, Singapore, Tanzania, Uganda, and Hong Kong.

The senior national cricket team will also play a series of friendly matches upon arrival in Hong Kong to gear up for the tournament. 

The TCA official asked sports followers and the rest in Tanzania to rally behind the national cricketers and show them unwavering support as the performers aim to rise higher.

The 2024 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B, which took place in Uganda, culminated with Tanzania taking the fifth spot.

The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B eventual champions – Uganda - had topped the showdown table after notching a 2.7247 Net Run Rate (NRR), having emerged victorious in three encounters.

The tournament leader amassed 629 runs and gave away 392 runs in the three clashes. The other fixture was declared a no-result.

Uganda was, on the tournament's climax, facing Bahrain at the Entebbe Cricket Oval- aiming to seal an unbeaten stint.

Second-placed Italy ended up recording a 2.2440 NRR having secured victory in three outings and succumbed to loss in one tie.

The top two teams had, before confronting each other, so far been the competitors boasting unbeaten stretch in the showdown.

Italy brought their campaign in the week-long tournament to an end with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Singapore on the closing day.

Hong Kong secured third place after amassing the -0.5193 NRR, having come out victorious in three outings, lost one game, and the other tie was declared a no result.

Fourth-placed Bahrain had, before the climax, amassed the 0.7732 NRR following a victory in two ties, a loss in another, and one clash with no result. 

The team was, on the showdown's closing day, seeking to end Uganda's winning run. 

Fifth-placed Tanzania, having failed to garner a victory in the showpiece, ended up recording the -1.4912 NRR.

The fixture versus Singapore, which ended up being declared a tie, had the East African country's squad garnering the only point in the showdown.

Bottom-placed Singapore had as well not registered victory in the tournament, managing a -2.6076 NRR.

Singapore, which brought its participation in the showdown to an end with the loss to Italy, scored 434 runs and leaked 598 runs.

The 2024 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B turned out to be the first stage of the road to the 2027 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup.

ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League is the second edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League and a cricket tournament which forms part of the 2027 Cricket World Cup qualification process.

Tanzania's senior national cricket team has honoured ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Challenge League B whilst boasting a successful run in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa Qualifier A, held in Dar es Salaam in September.