National cricket goes international

PANAMA. Panamanian cricket is alive and well and competing in Costa Rica. This week Panama's National Cricket Team will make its sixth appearance in international competition when it heads of to Costa Rica to compete in the third Central American Championships (CAC), which will take place in the Polo Los Reyes Club in La Guacima, Alajuela.

The Championships which run from April 4 to April 6. Will involve teams from the host country, along with Mexico, Belize, and El Salvador.

Teams from Panama largely composed of players of Indian or Pakistani descent, previously competed in the 1999 South American Championships in Argentina, in Jamaica for the 2002 World Cup qualifying tournament, the 2004 World Cup qualifying tournament in Panama and in Argentina in 2006 and in Surinam last year.

The team is registered under the Panama Cricket Association, which is part of the world governing body the ICC (International Cricket Council). The Panama Association recognized by PANDEPORTE has been active since 1947.

Currently there are 12 first division teams and six second division teams located in Panama, Colon and Chiriquí. In Panama they can be seen in action every Sunday, January through May at Clayton, University of Panama and the Technological University of Panama. The teams also play in Colon and in Chiriquí.

The players selected for the championships are: Captain. Sabbir Samrodia (Bhatty team), Sub. Captain Sailesh Ahir (Ahir Cricket), Bashir Patel (Bhatty), Soeb Chohan (M.C.C.), Ashif Patel (Alianza) Tariq Daya (Alianza), Irfan Tarajia (Alianza), Abdulla Nawab (Nawabi Nilesh Bhakta (Deporte Hindu), Chirag Patel (Indian Cricket), Saprem Bhakta (Indian Cricket), , Jatin Ahir (Santiago), Manish Ahir (Chitre), Jayesh Ahir (David Team). Coach Jagdish Ahir and Manager Ismael Patel.