Cricket Kenya (CK) has named a national Under-19 boys’ cricket team of 14 players to represent the country at the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in Nigeria, including United Kingdom (UK)-based player Stian Smith.

Speaking to People Sport yesterday, national U-19 team coach Francis Otieno Ndege said the 14 players were selected from a pool of 35 cricketers drawn from different clubs across the country who attended national trials held at Gymkhana Cricket Club sports ground from February 14 to 22.

Ndege identified the final squad as captain Yash Gohil, who doubles as a batsman and wicketkeeper; batsmen Ryan Kassam and Yuvraj Bhatyani; UK-based batsman and leg-spinner Stian Smith, who is currently studying in the UK; batsman Aditya Vekaria; and batsman and off-spinner Akshith Sekar.

The selected squad also includes medium pacer and batsman Neel Doshi, off-spinner and batsman Chidam Saijeeth, left-arm spinner and batsman Shlok Saini, batsman Prinay Galaiya, medium pacers Antony Ndungu and James Githua, off-spinner Dhir Patel and another medium pacer, Krishil Patel.

Ndege said most of the national Under-19 team players were selected from Gymkhana Cricket Club, except for UK-based Smith, Saijeeth, and Galaiya, who play for Nairobi-based Obuya Cricket Club, and Vekaria, who was drawn from Cutchi Leva Cricket Club.

He explained that the majority of the players forming the national team were selected from Gymkhana because the club emerged triumphant overall in the Under-19 league organized by CK last November.

The league featured 10 clubs, and several Gymkhana players stood out.

“Out of the 14 selected players, only two (Krishil and Kassam) are new to the squad. Additionally, three players, Patel, Krishil and Githua, who are eligible for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, were part of the team that toured Uganda last Easter for a series of friendly matches against Uganda and Rwanda,” Ndege said.

He added that apart from performance, the selection criteria for the 14-player national squad were based on an age cut-off for players born on or after September 1, 2006.

“Over 35 players attended the national trials, which began on February 14 and were open to all. The other selection criteria included attendance at nets, fitness, batting, bowling, fielding ability, and consideration of a player’s future prospects,” Ndege explained.

The national coach further stated that the process of identifying players for the trials, which concluded last week on February 22, began after the previous national Under-19 team completed its participation in last year’s World Cup qualifiers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Similarly, he confirmed that the national Under-19 team will compete in the World Cup qualifiers scheduled to take place in Lagos, Nigeria, from March 26 to April 6.

During the qualifiers, Kenya’s U-19 team will play its first game against Sierra Leone, the second against Uganda, the third against Tanzania, the fourth against hosts Nigeria, and the final match against Namibia.

Ndege expressed confidence in his team’s preparations and expects a stronger performance in Nigeria, having finished second to Namibia in last year’s qualifiers in Tanzania.

“Namibia won by a single point last year, but this time, we are determined to perform much better,” he concluded.