Baby Cricket Cranes (Uganda U-19 Boys national Cricket team) Captain, Pascal Murungi is confident that his side will put up a good show at the ICC U-19 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier scheduled for September 28th to October 7th in Kigali, Rwanda.
In the current team, Murungi, Juma Miyagi and Ismail Munir are the only players who represented the nation at the 2019 qualifiers held in Nairobi which happened to be a false campaign for Uganda.
Baby Cricket Cranes have been preparing for the Kigali meet for a while now under the guidance of coach Ivan Thawithemwira and his assistant Robinson Turinawe and skipper Murungi is confident that they will reap the fruits of their labor in their innings.
“We expect everything to come in our favor,” Murungi said during the team’s flagoff ceremony on Friday in Lugogo, Kampala adding that; “everyone on the team is ready for the tournament and I believe we are good to go.”
To make it to the 2022 U19 World Cup in the West Indies, Uganda will need to emerge champions in the 50-over format tourney and notch the single continental slot at stake in Kigali.
Uganda, who have been to two U19 World Cups in 2004 (Dhaka, Bangladesh) and 2006 (Colombo, Sri Lanka), will be hoping to make it third time lucky when they take on Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and hosts Rwanda in the five-nation round robin event that will be played at beautiful Gahanga International Cricket Stadium and newly renovated Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC) located in Kicukiro – Kigali.
Uganda will open their campaign on Thursday, September 30th against Namibia at the IPRC, Kigali, a match Murungi says his side should win inorder to set up the winning rhythm going forward.
“We’re looking forward to winning our first game. This will help us to gain momentum and confidence heading into the next games. We gained lots of skills and experience in the bubble and I believe we shall emerge victorious,” Murungi said.
The players have spent the last two weeks in a Bio-Secure Bubble at Hawaii Resort in Entebbe as per the requirement in the New Normal. The team will fly out to Kigali on Monday, September 27th.
—Uganda’s contingent to Rwanda.
The Players: 1. Pascal Murungi (Captain), 2. Juma Miyagi, 3. Brian Asaba, 4. Cyrus Kakuru, 5. Ronald Omara, 6. Ronald Lutaaya, 7. Joseph Baguma, 8. Christopher Kidega, 9. Matthew Musinguzi, 10. Ismail Munir (Vice-Captain), 11. Ackram Nsubuga, 12. Pius Oloka, 14. Isaac Sanyu Ategeka. Officials: Ivan Thawithemwira (Head Coach), Robinson Turinawe (Assistant Coach), Habib Kulusum Anguyo (Physiotherapist), Sylvester Rokani (Team Manager).
—Uganda’s Schedule.
Thursday, September 30th: Uganda vs. Namibia – IPRC Kigali
Sunday, October 3rd: Uganda vs. Rwanda – Gahanga Stadium
Monday, October 4th: Uganda vs. Nigeria – Gahanga Stadium
Wednesday, October 6th: Uganda vs. Tanzania – IPRC Kigali
