The 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier was a cricket tournament played as part of the qualification process for the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, during October and November 2021.[1]
In April 2018, the International Cricket Council (ICC) granted full international status to Twenty20 men's matches played between member sides from 1 January 2019 onwards. Therefore, all the matches in the Regional Qualifiers had the Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) status.[2] The Africa Qualifier started with a sub-regional qualifier consisting of two groups, with the top team in each group progressing to the Regional Final.[3][4] Kenya and Nigeria, the two highest ranked teams as of 1 January 2020, progressed directly to the Regional Final.[3][5]
The sub-regional tournament was scheduled to take place in South Africa from 27 April to 3 May 2020; however, on 24 March 2020, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that all ICC qualifying events scheduled to take place before 30 June 2020 had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] In December 2020, the ICC updated the qualification pathway following the disruption from the pandemic.[7] In March 2021, the sub-regional qualifiers were postponed again, with them both being moved back to October 2021.[8] In July 2021, the Rwanda Cricket Association announced that the ICC had confirmed Rwanda as the host nation for all of the matches in the Africa Qualifier.[9][10] Qualifier A matches were played at two venues in Kigali, the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium and the IPRC Cricket Ground.[11]
Uganda finished in first place in Qualifier A to join Kenya and Nigeria in the Regional Final.[12] Dinesh Nakrani of Uganda was named player of the series.[13] Qualifier B was won by Tanzania, who claimed the fourth and final place in the Regional Final.[14][15] Uganda won the Regional Final, winning five of their six matches, to progress to the Global Qualifiers.[16]