4th Shah arrives for historic TZ cricket arena inauguration

DAR ES SALAAM: INTERNATIONAL Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah has arrived in Dar es Salaam for tomorrow’s historic inauguration of the newly developed Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) Cricket Arena at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).

The ceremony will mark the first time an ICC Chairman officially inaugurates a cricket facility in Tanzania, underscoring the country’s growing profile in international cricket.

Ahead of the event, the ICC approved all three newly constructed cricket grounds at UDSM, clearing the way for their official opening.

Tanzania Cricket Association (TCA) Chairman, Balakrishna Sreekumar, confirmed that ICC Chairman Shah arrived in Dar es Salaam early yesterday.

“I’m happy to inform you that ICC Chairman Jay (Shah) has landed in Dar,” Sreekumar said.

He described Shah’s visit as a significant milestone in the association’s drive to develop world-class cricket infrastructure and strengthen Tanzania’s position as a regional hub for the sport.

He also welcomed Kanu Rathod, the Founder and Group Leader of Cricket Legends of Tanzania and TCA Country Coordinator for the United Kingdom and Europe, who travelled from the UK to witness the landmark occasion.

ALSO READ: Top scorers shine as Taifa Cup heads into final stretch

“His unwavering support and commitment to promoting Tanzanian cricket internationally continue to strengthen the game’s reach and create meaningful connections across the global cricket community,” Sreekumar said.

Inviting cricket enthusiasts and stakeholders to attend the ceremony, Sreekumar said: “You are all welcome to celebrate with us the inauguration of the TCA Cricket Arena. We value the contribution of our stakeholders from within and outside Tanzania in developing the game of cricket.”

After touring the new facilities, Rathod praised the quality of the grounds, saying they compare favourably with some of England’s renowned cricket venues.

“Thank you, Sreekumar, for the early morning start to my first day visiting the three grounds at UDSM. The ground reminds me of the Gloucestershire County Cricket Ground with its white-painted wooden boundary. It was truly amazing and felt as though I was in England,” Rathod said.

Also, Rathod noted  that he met the grounds curator, Dhaval Jassani from Dubai, and TCA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Abdallah Hamisi, during the visit.

“I never imagined we would have such beautiful turf wickets in Tanzania. In our days, we grew up playing cricket on concrete pitches. Even when I recently met Graham Gooch, he remembered the concrete pitch at the Dar es Salaam Gymkhana Club. Thank you to TCA for this remarkable progress. The future of cricket in Tanzania looks bright,” he said.