Should motivation be the deciding factor at this month's West African Cricket Conference Quadrangular tournament in Lagos, then Nigeria can start making space on their trophy cabinet.

Although regaining their former reputation as West Africa's strongest cricketing nation should provide the necessary spur on its own, a tournament win against current champions, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Ghana would be timely in convincing the International Cricket Council that Nigeria deserves stand alone Associate membership status.

It already has the support of its fellow West African Cricket Conference members and will hope a good showing at home both on and off the field will be influential when its application is voted on in June in London at the ICC's Annual General Meeting.

The Quadrangular will coincide with an inspection visit by Andrew Eade, the ICC's Global Development Manager, and Rene van Ierschot, the Associate Members' delegate on the Executive Board of the ICC. Their visit will take place from April 14-18 and they are scheduled to visit Lagos, Ibadan, Ile-Ife, Abuja and Kaduna.

A preliminary inspection had been carried out in November 2001 by Hoosain Ayob, the ICC Regional Development Manager for Africa which took him to Owerri and Port Harcourt.

Nigeria won the first 10 West African championships, but has finished second to Sierra Leone in the last three.

Selection trials for the Nigerian team were held in Lagos on March 30 and April 1, but like Gambia, Ghana and Sierra Leone, the final squad has not been announced.

Gambia may not need to announce a squad as Gambia Cricket Association official, Sonny Manly-Rollings told 'Beyond The Test World' his association may not be able to find sufficient funds to cover the airfares to Lagos.

The draw:

Tuesday 16th April
Nigeria vs. Gambia (TBS Ground)
Ghana vs. Sierra Leone (UNILAG)
Wednesday 17th April
Reserve Day
WACC Development Conference
Thursday 18th April
Nigeria vs. Ghana (TBS Ground)
Sierra Leone vs. Gambia
West African Cricket Conference Annual General Meeting
Friday 19th April
Gambia vs. Ghana (TBS Ground)
Saturday 20th April
Nigeria vs. Sierra Leone (TBS Ground)

Past winners with host cities in brackets:
1978 - (Freetown, Sierra Leone) Nigeria; 1980 - (Accra, Ghana) Nigeria; 1982 - (Banjul, The Gambia) Nigeria; 1983 - (Freetown, Sierra Leone) Nigeria; 1989 - (Accra, Ghana) Nigeria; 1991 - (Banjul, The Gambia) Nigeria; 1992 - (Lagos, Nigeria) Nigeria; 1993 - (Freetown, Sierra Leone) Nigeria; 1997 - (Lagos, Nigeria) Nigeria; 1998 - (Accra, Ghana) Sierra Leone; 1999 - (Banjul, The Gambia) Sierra Leone; 2001 - (Freetown, Sierra Leone) Sierra Leone

© ICC 2002