Talented cricket duo seal Singapore moves
Mqondisi Dube | Friday January 25, 2019 11:50
Motlhanka and Rangaswamy played a key role in the national team’s recent success at the ICC Division 3 Africa qualifiers, where Botswana finished top, ahead of perennial irritant, Namibia.
The success saw Botswana through to the next round of the 2020 T20 World Cup, where they will compete with winners from other African regions in Uganda later this year.
Now Motlhanka and Rangaswamy have been invited to play in the Singapore Cricket Association’s (SCA) Elite Player Series from February 9 to March 16. Former Botswana national team coach, Arjun Menon facilitated the move for the two left handed players.
Montlhanka was elated and described the move as a great opportunity to further his blossoming career.
“It is an exciting move that is in line with my desire to get exposure to different cricket experiences as well as the challenge to keep bettering myself as a player and grow the contribution I can make for the country,” the left handed batsman said.
Motlhanka believes such moves are key for the growth of local cricket, and wants to see more Batswana play abroad.
“I feel there should be more Botswana players getting exposure to the game outside of the home comforts,” the national team wicket keeper said. “It will help the sport grow exponentially in the country, should more players get exposed to different environments. I also feel we are slowly making some progress and it is up to us to put Botswana on the map so the more players are sought after.”
Rangaswamy said former coach, Menon contacted him over the move. “He was aware of my past abilities and saw this as a great opportunity to give me exposure to high quality cricket.
“I am going there to be the MVP (Most Valuable Player) and to win all team accolades. Anything less, will be considered a failure,” the left arm fast medium bowler told Mmegi Sport. Menon said there are not too many left handed players in Singapore, which is the reason why he went for Motlhanka and Rangaswamy.
“They have been invited by the SCA to partake in our high performance league called the Elite Player Series. I am coordinating all high performance programmes now for Singapore cricket. We feel that the likes of Karabo and Adithiya could add value as both are left handed players, an area where we lack here in Singapore.”
“There are not many left handers in our systems, so (we want to) get our guys used to bowling to and being bowled to, by left handers. Also, I feel both (players) are good enough to add value to the league as well,” Menon said.