Following the successful hosting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup in Lagos and Abuja from 11-13 February, 2019, ICC Africa Finance and Operations Office Mr. Kuben Pillay says the ICC will continue to work very closely with the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) to implement programmes that would help boost the growth of cricket in the country.

Nigeria – a non traditional cricket playing nation – was chosen along with twenty one other countries as one of the destinations in the global tour of cricket’s most prized silverware ahead of the 2019 ICC World Cup finals tournament in England and Wales in May and Mr. Pillay says the feat which was also a way of recognising the impressive work of the current Professor Yahaya Ukwenya led NCF board, will help ramp up interest and increase the profile of the sport in Nigeria.

“[Nigeria was chosen to host the ICC World Cup Trophy] to increase the profile of the game in Nigeria and also to recognise the work that was put in by the Nigeria Cricket Federation since the new board took over eighteen months ago.

“[Hosting the trophy will] definitely increase the awareness of the game, show people that Nigeria Cricket Federation has arrived, that they hear to compete on a global stage and just bring more people to the game,” he told busybuddiesng.com.

With the trophy tour completed and having already organised a two day Commercial, Strategy and Development Workshop in conjunction with the NCF to map out a route to grow and develop the sport in Nigeria, Mr. Pillay says the ICC will continue to work hand in glove with the NCF especially as regards improving the performance levels of the national team.

“We have been working very closely with them since the new board has taken over,” he told busybuddiesng.com. “We continuously work with [the NCF] to improve the programmes [designed] to improve the performance of the national team [and] putting systems in place to manage the high-performance programmes.”