Something about the lions of Uganda is inherently remarkable. In addition to traversing the rainforests with a commanding gait, they also challenge conventional wisdom by ascending trees, an exceptional ability that distinguishes them from their counterparts inhabiting other global forests.
Thursday, the country’s cricketers ascended metaphorically to heights much greater than the trees, accomplishing an uncommon national feat of magnificence by securing a coveted position in the Twenty20 World Cup.
In a nation widely acknowledged for being among the youngest in the world, cricket has not precisely established itself as a popular pastime among young people. From that perspective, it is considered a considerable achievement. Popular imagination is dominated by football, rugby sevens, and netball, but Brian Masaba’s squad made history as the first national men’s team from Uganda to qualify for the World Cup in a major global sport.
“This is very uplifting and humbling,” Mike Nuwagaba, the chairman of Uganda Cricket Association (UCA), told CricAdvisor giving a perspective on the team’s historic feat. “We scripted this journey three years ago and have painfully executed the plan. This qualification reinvigorates all Associates to believe. It’s possible.”
Captain Masaba, a 32-year-old right-handed bowling all-rounder, believed that the game was expanding into regions where its regulars were not familiar. “This is enormous in terms of Ugandan cricket’s ability to gain international recognition.” Masaba told Cricbuzz, “It’s an advertisement for cricket outside the major cricketing nations and merely demonstrates that the sport can expand much more rapidly given the chance and platform.”
Uganda has previously been a participant in three ICC global events, most notably the Under-19 World Cups of 2004 and 2006, and the most recent one, which was held in the West Indies in 2022. “This signifies our first-ever qualification for the senior men’s World Cup,” stated UCA Denis Musali. “Hopefully cricket will now gain in popularity in the country after this accomplishment.”
Although the team originates from a cricketing backwater in Africa, Uganda has a respectable roster of players. Franco Nsubuga, a seasoned left-arm spinner of 43 years, has accumulated 27 years of experience in the field. He is presently ranked among the top bowlers in the world due to his remarkable economy rate of 4.78 in Twenty20 Internationals. Among those who have bowled at least 100 overs in Twenty20 Internationals, he has the highest economy rate. “One may imagine what the World Cup participation would mean to him,” Musali commented.
“For me, it’s a huge relief after all the years of disappointment and near misses,” the veteran told this website. “All my years of service finally mean something by this qualification and hopefully Ugandan cricket can continue to grow from here on,” Nsubuga, who has played 52 T20Is, said.
Cricket originated in Uganda during the late 19th century, having been introduced by missionaries in 1890, similar to its global origins. At first limited to missionary institutions, the sport underwent a transformation when an Asian labor force arrived in the African country. Cricket persisted in flourishing within the educational institutions for an extended period of time prior to its appeal to the local African populace.
Although not widely followed, Uganda has produced local talent in the form of Juma Miyagi and Cosmas Kyewuta, who are regarded as the fastest bowlers in Africa despite not being presently involved in the African qualifiers in Namibia. The cricket community is primarily concentrated in Kampala, the capital city, which is home to three venues of international standard and one more situated outside of Kampala.
A diversified group of individuals participated in the African region qualifying match at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek, Namibia. It is worth mentioning that the following players are of Indian descent: Alpesh Ramjani (29), Dinesh Nakrani (32), and Ronak Patel (35), all of whom specialize in left-handed bowling all-around. On the other hand, Bilal Hassan (33), a right-arm pacer, and Riazat Ali Shah (25), both of whom are right-handed batsmen, are of Pakistani origin.
Roger Mukasa (34), adroit right-handed batman and former captain who participated in the 2006 Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka, contributes to the team’s proficiency. Local players comprise the majority of the squad, thereby enriching the vibrant cricket culture in Uganda, which is home to 52 distinct ethnic communities.
Uganda qualified as the second team, following the host Namibia, to achieve World Cup qualification in Windhoek. The instant they emerged victorious over Zimbabwe, a Test-playing nation and Full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with substantial experience in numerous World Cups, was their pinnacle moment. They also defeated Kenya, their traditional East African adversaries, in a decisive manner. Further achievements encompassed victories over Tanzania and Nigeria, with the lone setback occurring in opposition to Namibia. On Thursday, they defeated Rwanda by a decisive nine wickets, thereby solidifying their position as the finalist among the twenty teams for the June 20 tournament in the West Indies and the United States.
Direct qualifiers for the tournament include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, England, South Africa, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand, in addition to the hosts, the West Indies. Qualifying nations will include Ireland and Scotland representing Europe, Namibia and Uganda representing Africa, Nepal and Oman representing Asia, and Papua New Guinea and Canada representing the East Asia Pacific and Americas regions.
The UCA manager pondered the implications of Thursday’s victory for Ugandan cricket. “This opens the door to additional opportunities (funding, partnerships, and playing better teams).” “This inspires optimism for a brighter tomorrow, and that is all that is needed to keep the fire burning,” Nuwagaba said, echoing the national captain’s belief that cricket can thrive in unanticipated locations given the appropriate support.
