The national men’s cricket team has stepped up its preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifiers after head coach Alexander Mavhiko assembled eight players for a three-month residential training camp at Soofia International School in Botha-Bothe.
The camp, which began on Wednesday, will run until September 30 and forms a key part of Lesotho’s preparations for the continental qualifiers scheduled for October.
Mavhiko said the selected players were chosen partly because they are currently unemployed, allowing them to fully commit to the demanding training programme without work-related interruptions.
“We have selected eight players who will be in camp from July 1 until September 30 ahead of the World Cup qualifiers,” Mavhiko said.
“These are players who are not working, so they are camping here with everything, including accommodation and food, being taken care of. However, among them there are some who are still at school, so they will utilise this first month (July) before returning to school.”
He added that national team players who are employed will continue to be part of the squad and will join the camp during weekends for training sessions.
According to Mavhiko, the extended residential programme is expected to ddress one of the team’s biggest challenges—limited training time.
“The camp is going to help us a lot because we will have continuous time to work with the players and help them understand each other and the game itself. Meeting only on weekends and having a lot to cover has been our major challenge in the past,” he said.
“This time, for three months, these players will focus solely on cricket. They will wake up thinking about cricket, play cricket and go to sleep thinking about the sport. So, we believe this will work for us.”
Beyond improving performances on the field, Mavhiko believes the initiative will also have a positive social impact by keeping young players engaged in a structured sporting environment.
“This camp is also helping us keep the players off the streets and keep them occupied with something they love,” he said.
The coach said the national side is determined to turn a new page and compete more effectively on the international stage instead of merely making up the numbers.
“We want to change our fortunes and start competing rather than just participating,” he said.
Mavhiko credited the success of the initiative to support from the private sector and educational institutions. Saverite Supermarket is supplying groceries for the camp, Soofia International School has provided its sporting facilities, while Nashua is covering accommodation for the players.
As part of the build-up to the qualifiers, Lesotho is also expected to play a series of friendly matches against South African provincial teams to give the players valuable match experience before the tournament.
The players currently attending the residential camp are Thamae Thamae, TankiKhetsi, Tšepiso Chaoana, ‘Malei Khauta, JabulaniMatjatje, BahlakoanaMejaro, HlalefangRamohapi and Mpiti Lerotholi.
Summary
- The national men’s cricket team has stepped up its preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifiers after head coach Alexander Mavhiko assembled eight players for a three-month residential training camp at Soofia International School in Botha-Bothe.
- The coach said the national side is determined to turn a new page and compete more effectively on the international stage instead of merely making up the numbers.
- As part of the build-up to the qualifiers, Lesotho is also expected to play a series of friendly matches against South African provincial teams to give the players valuable match experience before the tournament.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
