The Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) on Tuesday disbanded its senior male national team and sacked the team’s coach, Uthe Ogbimi.
The federation’s President, Emeka Onyeama, made the disclosure at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
Onyeama said the action was part of the resolutions taken after the team’s poor performance at the just-concluded World Cricket League Division Five Championship in Jersey Island, UK.
He said the federation was undertaking the team’s rebuilding process where young players with passion would wear the national colours.
He said: “The team has been disbanded with immediate effect and the coach relieved of his duties.
“The federation is undertaking a rebuilding process of the national team where young players of U-19 with passion for the game will wear the national colours.
“A new team and coaching crew will be announced and communicated accordingly in the wake of the proposed North-West Africa Tournament.”
The president regretted that the team was prepared in the best way possible which should have earned them victory.
Onyeama said: “The team had three phases of camping, which ran for two months, where over 40 players were assessed and the best 14 chosen to represent the country.
“Allowances for pre-tournament in the UK of $50 per day and $100 per day for the tournament proper were paid in full before their departure.
“This is the first time this administration was paying the national team $100 per day for international tournaments as against the usual $25 to $50 given to them prior to the inception of this administration.
“The federation also went into partnership with Shriram Regananthan, a Level A coach certified by the Board of Control for Cricket India.
“This was to assist the national team coach to improve the skills of the players and our chances to gain promotion to Division Four of the league.
“This team was prepared in the best way to have earned us victory instead of this dismissal result.”
Onyeama added that the event would not deter or distract the overall goal of developing the game in the country.
Nigeria finished last in the championship in Jersey and was relegated to play only regional tournament, which is the North-West Africa tournament.
Onam, Jersey, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Guernsey also participated in the event, which held between May 21 and 28.
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