Malawi cricket team through
The Malawi Men’s National Cricket Team’s romantic flirtation with the bat-and-ball game reached new lofty heights yesterday when it qualified for the final phase of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup qualification phase.
Malawi sealed their slot after beating Cameroon at the Sub Regional Africa Qualifying Tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with a game to spare against the hosts.
According to icc-criket.com, Malawi comfortably chased down the West Africans’ target of 30 runs, finishing at 31/1 in 2.5 overs.
It was the fourth straight win for Malawi, who face the hosts in their last match today.
Captain Mozzam Baig was the centrepiece of Malawi’s victory with a five-star bowling display that saw him being named man-of-the-match.
The veteran cricketer took five wickets for just four runs in 1.5 overs.
“Mozzam’s brilliant spell helped Malawi secure a dominant win over Cameroon to book their place in the final stage,” read the statement in part.
Malawi won the toss and elected to bowl first. They bowled out the stunned Cameroonians for 30 runs in 8.5 overs to gain full control of the proceedings.
In a post-match interview, Baig was a model of modesty attributing the good run to team spirit.
He said: “Credit should go to the entire team for playing their lungs out, the hard work of the whole team is paying off.
“Every player understands his role and performing according to expectations. Management and coaching panel have all been supportive and that is why we have done well so far.
“We pray that we return home with the cup.”
On his part, coach Arjun Menon said: “This is a great achievement for Malawi, having never qualified for the finals of the African Qualifiers for the T20 World Cup 2026.
“However, it is not done yet as I feel we need to make a statement when we play Tanzania in the final group fixture.
“Yes, having qualified is a great feeling, but beating Tanzania in their own backyard and being crowned champions of this qualifiers would cap off a great achievement.”
On Tuesday, Malawi beat another West African side Mali, easily chasing down a modest total set by the Malians.
