By Bockarie Allieu
FREETOWN, July 14 (SALONE TIMES) – The Chairman of the Liberia National Cricket Federation (LNCF) Roopesh Ram was in Sierra Leone over the weekend on a project. Roopesh took the opportunity to meet with the Chairman of the Sierra Leone Cricket Association (SLCA) Francis Samura to discuss Cricket matters. The Liberia Cricket Federation is yet to become a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). In this case he appealed to the Chairman of SLCA Samura to help forward their case to the ICC officials to register them as members of the World Cricket body. Roopesh told Samura that already they have clubs who are presently playing in the Liberia Premier League (LPL). These clubs he said have players from India, Liberia and very recently they signed two players from Sierra Leone Abass Gbla and Cherenoh Bah who played in their last league. Roopesh went on that their next target is to build up a national team for Liberia to be taking part in the ICC competitions. Apart from the league, he said presently they are now embarking on schools Cricket and the construction of Cricket grounds and other facilities. Meanwhile, he said while fighting to be ICC members he wants their clubs to be playing club series with clubs in Sierra Leone. At the start he said they will travel to Sierra Leone and play the matches over the weekend and return back to Liberia. Roopesh assured Samura that the Liberia government is in full support to let Cricket play in Liberia. Samura thanked the Liberia chairman for his effort to let Cricket play in Liberia. He told him that he has been to Liberia once to access the game there when he was assigned by ICC to go and introduce Cricket in Ivory Coast. Today he said Ivory Coast is an associate member of ICC. He told Roopesh that they need to meet with the criteria of becoming a member of ICC such as having Cricket Ovals, constitution and secretariat before becoming a member of ICC. Notwithstanding he said he will put their case across to their regional body the North West Africa Cricket Council NWACC and the Africa Cricket Associations (ACA). They in return he said will make the recommendation to ICC for their membership. Samura said they will immediately form Mano River Union Cricket Associations (MRUCA) as soon as Liberia become a member of ICC. In this case he said it will be easy for Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Liberia to travel by road and play friendly matches with each other. Also present at the meeting were Abu Bakarr Kargbo a board member of SLCA board, Daniel Koroma Chief Operating Officer Abu Mid-West CC Officer and two members of SLCA Media Bockarie Allieu and Catherine.
