The Ugandan national men's cricket team, known as the Cricket Cranes, are training intensely under the guidance of their new head coach, Abhay Sharma, on a sunny morning at the main cricket oval in Kampala.
Clad in their vivid red kit, the team is preparing for their first-ever Twenty20 World Cup, a monumental achievement in a country where cricket is often overshadowed by football.
The World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States and the West Indies from June 1 to June 29, presents a formidable challenge for the Cranes.
They will face strong opponents, including New Zealand, the West Indies, Afghanistan, and Papua New Guinea, with matches scheduled in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
Despite the limited preparation time—Sharma was appointed just a month ago—the team remains optimistic. "It's going to be high intensity preparations," said captain Brian Masaba, who was recently recognised by the ICC as the captain with the second highest number of wins in T20 internationals.
Masaba emphasised the significance of the World Cup for Uganda, both in terms of potential victories and as a platform to promote the nation globally.
The team includes young talents like 21-year-old Juma Miyagi, who dreams of leveraging this World Cup to advance his international cricket career and inspire other Ugandan youngsters. Veteran player Frank Nsubuga, 43, shares the excitement, having played internationally since 1997. For Nsubuga, participating in the World Cup fulfils a lifelong dream.
Coach Sharma, drawing on his extensive global coaching experience, is cautiously optimistic. "This is a young team, and it is the baby of global cricket," he said. "But they are in good shape, and expectations are high."
As Uganda steps onto the world stage, hopes are high that their participation will spark greater interest in cricket among the nation's youth, further developing the sport's future in the region.
