Uganda’s national cricket team skipper Davis Arinaitwe Karashani says his team will cause major upsets at the Twenty 20 World Cup qualifiers that take place in Dubai, UAE March 13-24.
Karashani told URN on Thursday night that they are going to play their hearts out and upset some top sides. The captain says although they are aware of the tough sides at the event, they are mentally and physically prepared to beat whichever team crosses their path.
Coach Martin Suji says although his team lost two games against Kenya and managed one win in their build-up games early this week in Nairobi, they are well prepared and know what to improve on. The Kenyan born coach said the players have worked so hard and it will be very important that his team wins the first two games in order to get the right momentum.
Uganda is pooled in Group B alongside USA, Oman, Scotland, Namibia, Italy, Ireland and Kenya. According to the playing format of the qualifier, the best two teams in the two groups will automatically qualify for the final where the best will qualify and the losing team will battle against four other teams that finished second and third in the two groups. The two teams will qualify for the World Cup finals to take place in Sri Lanka.
Justine Ligyalingi, the Chief Executive of the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) however says that even if Uganda fail to make direct qualification for the World Cup, he hopes the team can fight hard to make it to the play-offs to battle for the second slot. Uganda’s team, which leaves on Saturday aboard Kenya Airways, will open their campaign against USA on March 13, before they face Oman the next day.
