Karabo Motlhanka will lead the squad during the qualifiers, which will take place from September 26 to October 4 in Harare, as eight teams battle for two slots at the 2027 T20 World Cup. The team also includes former captain Karabo Modise, pace bowler Thatayaone Tshose, Vinoo Balakrishnan, Reginald Nehonde, Tharindu Perera, and Dhruv Maisuria as players with a lot of experience under their belt, while the likes of Katlo Piet, Losika Makgale, Boemo Khumalo, Boemo Kgosiemang, Botlhe Keganne, and Abendnico Motshegetsi will get an opportunity to showcase their skills at arguably the biggest stages of their blooming careers. It is the third time that Botswana will take part in qualifiers that lead to direct progress to the World Cup finals, and despite being a dark horse, BCA vice chairman, Sumod Damodar, said the team will give its all. "The target for any athlete or association is to compete at the highest level. Any team, in this case, the Baggy Blues, the intention is to progress, move from one stage to the next, and ultimately get to the global stage. It means a great deal for us as an association and as a team to secure that place at the global stage," Damodar said.
He also said that under the given circumstances, the team has prepared well ahead of the tournament. "We feel that the Baggy Blues have done as much as we can under the present circumstances, but is it enough? Hard work is never enough. As dynamics and the picture change globally, there is always a constant need for more and more hard work," Damodar said. As part of preparations, the team travelled to Bengaluru, India, for a high-performance training, which included playing warm-up T20 matches. The tour was organised by the Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) in collaboration with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), made possible through the support of the Indian High Commissioner, Bharath Kumar Kuthati. Damodar said the Stanley Timoni-coached team will make all efforts to qualify for the World Cup. "What else will we be going to the tournament for other than to make every effort to qualify? We have to take each game at a time; we have to make sure that we win all our games, especially in the preliminary stage. If we win a minimum of two, if we win all three, then our safety net of getting into the semi-finals is assured. The target is to get to the finals," he said. Botswana will join the hosts, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria for a shot at a historic spot in the World Cup. Botswana is in Group B with Tanzania, Uganda, and tournament favourites, Zimbabwe. The Baggy Blues kick start their campaign against Tanzania on September 26 at the Takashinga Sports Club before facing Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club two days later. The team will round off its campaign against Uganda on September 30.
