Before we talk about Rwanda Cricket let us analyse the geographical position as USAID report described. Rwanda as a small landlocked country in the Great Lake area of Central African Region is the 46th rank by land area out of 54 countries of Africa with around only 24.7 Thousand Square Kilometer of land area. It is a hilly and mountainous country with an average altitude of 1,250 meters.
The country terrain rises from lowland plains and swamps in the east to central uplands and rolling hills that meet a range of mountains crossing the country from Northwest to Southwest. The divide separating the Congo and Nile drainage system has an average elevation of 2,700 meters and slopes sharply to the west to meet Lake Kivu and Ruzizi river valley.
As per USAID report 70% of Rwanda's land is classified as agricultural,10% of total land is permanent cropland, of which 0.6 % is irrigated. Six percent of the land is Marsh land and about 19% of total land is classified as Forest.
Under Rwanda National Forestry Policy of February 2018 Rwanda has set a target to increase its Forest cover to 30% of the total country land area through afforestation and reforestation by 2020.
Barbaric genocide in Rwanda between April and July, 23 years back, motivated some British charitable organizations and British Charity RCSF - Rwanda Cricket Stadium foundation, to gift Rwanda one beautiful full Cricket Ground with a small Stadium on 28th October 2017 also known as Kicukiro Oval, and UK Charity Cricket Build Hope is the successor organization to the RCSF - Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation. This is not the Property of Rwanda Cricket Association.
The fundamental ICC Funding Policy towards Associate Members is regulated through ICC Score Card Achievements by individual members. The Score Card is divided into various group of development activities and by scoring higher or lower grade of accomplishments members are awarded More or Less funds. In a simple rule of thumb this can be portrayed as - if a country having more players, participants, umpires, Ground and pitches, Coaches etc. will get more fund than countries having less in comparison.
The process of registration of achievements are made through annual Census Templates by individual members issued by ICC Development Department.
Onus lies on members for Honest and True declaration / Registration and it is up to ICC Development Department mechanism to verify the truthfulness of registration because all processes have ultimate & unique OUTCOME CALLED - MONEY.
The consequences of giving false data by members may lead to serious actions by ICC management through its appropriate Commission or Committees, from forfeiture of funds already paid to fine, penalties to suspension of membership etc. etc.
Nonetheless in most cases, there can not be absolute misleading or fraudulent acts by members, without deliberate or non-deliberate callousness or connivance, by ICC Development staff.
2020 ICC funding to Associate members are corresponding annual activities of one calendar year, 1st January to 31st December of 2018. Therefore fund received/receiving in 2020 by Associate members are based on registration of data on Census and confirmation by ICC Development Department referring the year 2018.
Let us interpret few points on Rwanda Growth-from last two (2017 and 2018) as recorded in ICC Census report:
A) In 2017 Rwanda registered and declared 6,017 persons as Total Participants in Cricket Playing numbers and in 2018 registered and declared as 14,178 persons as Total Participants. A growth jump of around 242% in one year. Is it because of one ground Kicukira Oval or something else?
B) In 2017 Rwanda declared ZERO number players played under Modified playing group, male and female. In 2018 it declared 910 players under Modified group, male and female. A growth Jump of around 940% in one year. Is it because of one ground Kicukira Oval or something else?
C) The most contested facts are recorded and accepted in ICC Census data under GROUNDS ( Pitches type) of Development area that:
i) in 2017 Rwanda declared they have just ONE turf wicket in whole country and in 2018 Rwanda, in just one calendar year they had 66 Turf wickets, means new 65 Turf wickets constructed in this period. In a simple interpretation it can be said that Rwanda constructed at the rate of 5.4 Turf Wickets per month or rather 1.25 Turf Wickets per week.
ii) In 2017 Rwanda declared they have 31 Portable Artificial wickets in grounds and in 2018 they declared that they have 84 Portable Artificial wickets (not permanent). This reflects that Rwanda acquired additional 53 Portable Artificial Wickets at the rate of increase near 270% in one calendar year. I sincerely hope that proper documentation of import / purchase of qualified "Artificial Portable wicket" as approved by competent entity, are at disposal.
All above 3 points of Rwanda Growth analysis are directly connected and proportionate to FINANCIAL BENEFIT through ICC SCORECARD grant reviewed, scrutinized and controlled by ICC Development department staff. Therefore if Rwanda declared truly and verified by ICC Development Staff then we must consider Rwanda as an African Genius and exemplar to all Global Associates, although in the beginning we mentioned how small and adverse Rwanda land and geographical status is in Central African Region.
However, as the rate of Rwanda Growth in different areas including above 3 points are highly controversial and suspicious including construction of 65 NEW TURF wickets in one year should be audited for veracity by an INDEPENDENT Body, without being officers,employees or agents of ICC or any member.
Will there be proper investigation against any members and ICC Development managers / staff who may be involved directly or by proxy, to defend the interest of Cricket Development and honest Associate members? Acquiring fund in a prohibited way is a serious offence.
Please stay tuned for further interesting of inside stories soon.
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