The gap between the national team players and local body Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) is likely to grow bigger unless both entities come to terms. The issues arising from the disagreements on the new proposed contracts for players is something continuing to blow out of proportion.
After a meeting held on Friday at Lugogo, the 15 contracted players and UCA representative honorary secretary Jackson Kavuma did not come up with a substantial conclusion on the bulging matters. “I could not make a final decision with the other four board members,” Kavuma told Kawowo Sports.
“We shall hold a meeting on Tuesday afternoon and see the way forward on this,”
“As a board, we’d love to see all players happy at the end of the day but they have looked a little impatient on this.” he added.
An inside source close to both parties told this website that UCA could be taking it to a waiting game. “There was nothing much in that meeting (Friday’s),” the source, preferring anonymity said. “Tuesday’s board meeting may still push this further meaning UCA could be taking this to a waiting game.”
After finishing second behind Nepal at the ICC World Cricket Division III tourney to earn progress to next year’s ICC World Cup Qualifier due New Zealand, UCA offered new contracts worth Shs400000 each player with monthly bonuses of up to Shs1.6m.
But they opted to request for a few changes. They asked UCA to partition the offer in three groups of Shs 600,000 (five senior players), Shs 400,000 (six middle class) and Shs 200,000 (four) with each player still able to pick up a bonus and total Shs2m every 30 days.
But UCA insisted on their first terms, causing a storm. “We’ll wait for Tuesday’s meeting and we see if our points will be considered,” said one of the players. “For now, our spirits are low and we’ll keep our tools aside.”