ICC WCL Div 3

Group A Group B

Sierra Leone Ghana

Malawi Morocco

Rwanda Gambia

Lesotho Swaziland

Rwanda has landed a tough draw at this year’s ICC Africa World Cricket League Division 3 tournament.

According to an email from Africa’s cricket governing body to Timesports, ACA, Rwanda has been drawn in Group A with heavy weights Sierra Leone, Malawi and Lesotho.

"It is the toughest group in the tournament. We have been drawn in that group because of our improved ranking on the continent," the Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) president Charles Haba said.

Rwanda is ranked 13th by ACA.

Group B comprises of Ghana, Morocco, Gambia and debutants Swaziland.

This year, Rwanda will be making her third appearance in the biannual event after appearances in 2004 and 2006 where she finished 7th and 6th respectively.

The winner of this tournament which runs from April 13-18 in South Africa will become an associate member of the ICC, the world cricket governing body.

In 2004 and 2006, Botswana and Mozambique joined the associate ranks.

Currently, Rwanda who acquired ICC affiliate status in 2003 is one of 58 affiliate members.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Imtiaz Patel is set to succeed Malcolm Speed as the ICC’s chief executive when he steps down in June. The ICC executive board, which met in Dubai on Monday, also named IS Bindra, the former president of the Indian board, as principal advisor.

Patel, the chief executive of Supersport; South Africa’s broadcast network and Bindra, were short listed by a four-man ICC sub-committee comprising the ICC president, Ray Mali, the president-elect, David Morgan, the Cricket Australia chairman Creagh O’Connor, and the president of the BCCI, Sharad Pawar.

Patel, a South African of Indian origin, is seen as a compromise candidate after concern among other ICC member nations over an Indian stranglehold on world cricket affairs had Bindra become the chief executive. A teacher before becoming development director at the United Cricket Board of SA - the forerunner of the current national body - in 1991, he joined Supersport in 1999 and rose through the ranks to be its chief executive.

It is understood that the Bindra-Patel arrangement was worked out over the last "two or three days" between the Indian board and other ICC members. The BCCI had initially pushed hard for Bindra and the prospect of an age bar ruling out its candidate saw its president, Sharad Pawar, writing a letter to the ICC pointing out flaws in the argument.

The appointment bypasses concerns over a possible Indian stranglehold with Sharad Pawar in line to take over the top job from Morgan in two years. At the same time, the BCCI will have a key man in the top levels of the ICC keeping a tab on, and influencing, major decisions.

An ICC official said Bindra, 66 will be based in India and will be available to it whenever necessary to provide guidance.

"We are delighted that Imtiaz is the board’s choice for the post of the next chief executive," Mali said. "I have no doubt that if he accepts the position he will do a great job."

Ends