Accra, Jan. 7, GNA - The first-ever West Africa under-15 cricket tournament, which was originally scheduled to kick-start on January 15 in Sierra Leone has been pushed back to January 25 through to February 2, this year.

Organizers have cited delay in the released of funds from the world governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC) as being the main reason for the change in date.

Ghana is sending a 14-member crack squad plus two officials for the weeklong tournament.

Mr William Hackman, an official of the Cricket Association of Ghana told the GNA sports in Accra that the U-15 tournament commences a busy year for the sport, which includes a clash between the senior national team and the Marylebone cricket club from the United Kingdom, at the Achimota oval.

The Ghana-UK big game has been fixed for February and later in April, the senior national team will also welcome neighbouring West African countries in a quadrangular test match.

The senior cricketers are also billed to defend their West African crown in Gambia and would trek to South Africa in March for the preliminary round of matches towards 2007 Cricket World Cup slated for the West Indies.

The 10-day round robin matches would also feature Botswana, Gambia, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.