Cricket team in Uganda for World Cup qualifiers
Calistus Kolantsho | Friday May 17, 2019 11:29
The International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup-Africa qualifiers get underway in the Ugandan capital on Sunday.
Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Uganda came through sub-regional qualifiers last year to reach the Africa final phase, where they would play a round-robin tournament from May 19-24. The games are scheduled for Lugogo Stadium and Kyambogo Cricket Oval.
BCA secretary, fixtures and publicity, Sumod Damodar said each team plays one another once and after the 15 games have been completed, the top two in the table will go on to represent Africa at the ICC men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE later this year.
Six teams will advance to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October 2020. Damodar said the Africa final qualifiers would join Papua New Guinea, UAE, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland and Zimbabwe in the global qualifier, which takes place between October 11 and November 3, 2019. National team coach, Joseph Angara told Mmegi Sport that they have been working hard since qualifying for the second leg.
“We have been working hard especially in the batting area and fielding. We had two visiting teams, Silicon from the USA and Tuskers from Zimbabwe. We played a series with them. We beat Silicon and lost to Tuskers.” Angara said it was not about losing or winning, but to see that the combinations were working. He said all countries that they are going to face in Uganda are tough, but they will take each game as it comes. “Our win last year is actually driving the players. Beating Namibia was a boost to us. I have made some changes in the team that played in the sub-regional qualifiers,” Angara said.
Meanwhile, Tshekedi Khama became the first sport minister to visit the Cricket Oval as he went there to bid the national team off.
Speaking during the event, Khama said BCA was an exemplary code. He said after meeting BCA on Tuesday and other 11 sporting codes, cricket brought the best report.
“Cricket is one of the least controversial. Your management style is the best and maybe it is high time that kept secret is open, with your achievement other codes could learn from you,” he said.
Khama added that the focus is always on traditional sports such as football, which are believed to have biggest supporters.
“With 15, 000 people participating in cricket country wide, we should change focus and the way we have been doing things. It should not be business as usual,” Khama said.
The team: Karabo Motlhanka (captain), Thatayaone Tshose, Adithya Rangaswamy, Tshepo Phaswana, Tharindu Perera, Mmoloki Mooketsi, Valentine Mbazo, Karabo Modise, Nabil Master, Inzamam Master, James Moses, Reginald Nehonde, Zain Abbasi, Vinoo Balakrishnan, Dhruv
Maisuria and Fazal Sheriff (manager).
Fixtures: Namibia vs Botswana (May 19th), Uganda vs Botswana (May 20th), Botswana vs Nigeria (May 21st), Botswana vs Kenya (May 23rd),Ghana vs Botswana (May 24th)