ICC Rates Abuja Cricket Facilities Ready For T20 World Cup Qualifier

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed satisfaction with the state of facilities in Abuja ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C, which begins on Tuesday.

Justine Ligyalingi, ICC Africa Regional Manager, said the Nigeria Cricket Federation had made considerable improvements to the facilities since an earlier inspection visit by an ICC representative about four months ago.

Ligyalingi, who inspected the facilities on Monday, said the progress made so far had given the ICC confidence that Abuja could host the six-nation tournament.

“We must say that there has been a lot of work that has gone into the facilities, and we believe that the Nigerian federation has done a good job,” he said.

He added that the facilities were in a suitable state to support the competition, which will bring together six countries competing for two places at next year’s Africa finals.

His assessment comes as Nigeria prepares to host the final group of the African sub-regional qualifiers in the pathway to the next ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Ligyalingi, however, noted that further improvements would be necessary to sustain the development of cricket in the country.

“Obviously, there is room for improvement as the Nigeria Cricket Federation continues to invest in the game,” he said.

The ICC official’s remarks highlight the importance of continued investment in cricket infrastructure as Nigeria seeks to strengthen its position in the sport and host more international competitions.

The Abuja qualifier is the third and final sub-regional qualifying tournament in Africa this year, following the completion of the first two groups.

The top two teams from each of the first two qualifiers have already secured places at the six-team Africa finals, leaving two slots to be decided in Abuja.

Ligyalingi said the ICC was encouraged by the progress made by several African cricket nations, including Nigeria, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, attributing their improved performances to investment in development programmes and high-performance structures.

For Nigeria, the successful delivery of the Abuja tournament will provide an opportunity to demonstrate its organisational capacity while competing for a place in the next stage of the World Cup qualifying series.