The stage is set for a thrilling opener at the Africa T20 World Cup Qualifier as Uganda take on hosts Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club tomorrow afternoon.
Uganda, ranked 21st in the world, enter the tournament with their sights firmly set on proving that their historic qualification for the 2023 T20 World Cup was no one-off. With seven players from that milestone squad, including captain Riazat Ali Shah, the Cricket Cranes are preparing for a fierce contest against Zimbabwe, ranked 12th, who are eager to avenge their shock defeat to Uganda in Windhoek two years ago.
“We are a World Cup team, and we need to show it through our performances,” Shah said. “If we play hard cricket, we’ll give our travelling fans reason to celebrate.”
Head coach Abhay Sharma echoed the skipper’s determination, stressing the need for composure and tactical discipline. “This is now a tactical battle. We have to apply ourselves and take care of the processes – the results will take care of themselves,” Sharma said.
Zimbabwe will be led by star all-rounder Sikandar Raza, with seasoned names like Sean Williams and Brendan Taylor adding depth and experience. Raza, rallying his teammates, called for bold performances. “We achieved a lot of positives against Sri Lanka and Namibia. Hopefully, we will have five perfect games in these qualifiers,” he said.
Uganda’s bowling unit, spearheaded by Joseph Baguma and Henry Ssenyondo, will be tasked with keeping Zimbabwe’s powerful top order in check. On the batting front, Raghav Dhawan and Robinson Obuya are expected to play pivotal roles.
There has been a late adjustment to the squad with Ronald Lutaaya replacing Shrideep Mangela.
Uganda’s Group B fixtures:
Sept 25: Uganda vs Zimbabwe – Harare Sports Club, 2:50pm
Sept 28: Uganda vs Tanzania – Takashinga, 10:30am
Sept 30: Uganda vs Botswana – Takashinga, 10:30am
Probable Uganda XI: Riazat Ali Shah (captain), Joseph Baguma, Dinesh Nakrani, Henry Ssenyondo, Alpesh Ramjani, Robinson Obuya, Raghav Dhawan, Juma Miyaji, Cosmas Kyewuta, Sumeet Verma, Cyrus Kakuru.
Super Sub: Frank Nsubuga
