Global Game: Wesley Barresi retires from all forms of cricket

Barresi, 36, who made his international debut in 2010, represented Netherlands in 32 ODIs, scoring 927 runs, and 42 T20Is scoring 799 runs at a strike-rate of 114.96.

He made his career-best international score of 137* against Kenya at Lincoln in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in 2013-14.

"I’ve been incredibly privileged not only to participate in three World Cups, represent a country and achieve some memorable feats, but more importantly I’ve had the pleasure of doing this for eighteen years," said Barresi, on announcing his retirement.

In both ODIs and T20Is, Barresi has second-highest dismissals as a wicketkeeper. He has taken 39 catches and has effected nine stumpings, including his sensational stumping in the 2011 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, against England.

Campbell extends contract as Dutch men’s coach

Netherlands men’s coach Ryan Campbell has agreed to an 18-month contract extension, the Dutch board (KNCB) announced this week. After signing on in 2017, Campbell’s original 4-year contract was set to finish at the end of next month, but the KNCB has agreed to terms that will see him guide the Dutch men through the entirety of their scheduled ICC CWC Super League fixtures. With Campbell at the helm until the end of September 2022, it gives the Netherlands some welcome stability in unpredictable times as they compete against the 12 Full Members for 7 automatic qualifying slots in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.

As well as their upcoming Super League campaign, the Dutch men have this year’s ICC T20 World Cup to prepare for, and Campbell is enthusiastic - as part of the announcement, he commented, "I feel we still have unfinished business and can’t wait to begin the Super League and compete at the T20 World Cup. Our youngsters are ready to roll and our experienced players are jumping out of their skin to get back on the park and I’m extremely happy to be the one guiding them."

Rwanda sign new women’s coach

In more coaching news, Rwanda Women have a new mentor with Zimbabwean Leonard Nhamburo taking the reins for the next two years in the East African nation. It’s the 40-year-old's longest coaching contract so far, and a mark of confidence from the Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) after he built an impressive resume in African women’s cricket over the last few years. Moving up from school coaching in his hometown of Glen View, Nhamburo led the Zimbabwe U19s from 2014, then landed an assistant job with the Lady Chevrons in 2016, before becoming interim head coach in 2017. Neighbours Namibia headhunted him in 2018, where he guided them through regional qualifying to the 2019 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. Most recently, Nhamburo led the Eagles franchise to victory in Zimbabwe’s domestic women’s T20 competition last December.

Speaking to Zimbabwean newspaper The Standard, he reflected on the possibilities offered by a longer stint in charge: "In Namibia, I had a short-term contract and I managed to get them to perform well, but now with Rwanda, I am going to have more time with them which gives me the opportunity to get a better understanding of their game and plan."

As well as taking Rwanda’s national team to the next level of African competition – they are currently seventh in the region and 34th overall in the ICC Women's T20I rankings – Nhamburo has been tasked with helping the RCA’s female development programmes build the next generation of Rwandan cricketers. Women’s development has been a top priority for Rwanda in recent years, with the RCA recognised at 2020’s ICC Development awards, where their Cricket Builds Hope female empowerment project took out the gong for 100% Cricket Female Participation Programme of the Year.

Uganda name preliminary squad for Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers

Elsewhere in Africa, and Uganda’s women have commenced preparations for the ICC Africa T20 Qualifiers, despite the lingering question marks over the scheduled pathway events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With all players testing negative to the coronavirus, the Lady Cranes have assembled a squad of 28 to enter an initial training camp as they build to the qualifying event in Botswana this October. Alongside Leonard Nhamburo’s Rwanda, Uganda will face off against Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and three debutants (Botswana, Cameroon, and Malawi) in a veritable feast of African cricket.

With the Ugandans still searching for a permanent women’s coach, an interim team of Davis Turinawe and Ivan Kakande will oversee the training camp as they attempt to shake off the cobwebs, having gone over a year without international cricket.

Bhutan contract 14 players leading up to ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers

Still on the ICC women’s qualification pathway, and Bhutan has made a noteworthy step forward by contracting 14 players for the next 10 months. The deals, offering a monthly salary plus expenses, travel, and equipment, are part of an ambitious plan by Bhutan Cricket (BC) to make an impact in their first appearance at an ICC Women’s Qualifier later this year. The High Performance Programme, which began on the 11th of February, is split into four phases, with the contracted players training across a range of disciplines as they build to the tournament. In addition to local training, it is expected they will tour the nearby Indian states of Sikkim, Assam, and Bengal.

Damber S. Gurung, the CEO of BC, highlighted the developmental priority of the plan: ‘This project is in an initial stage and our aim is mainly to develop competitive national teams and if our women’s team improves we are successful.'

Global Game is a collaboration between the ICC and Emerging Cricket.