At the moment, it’s hard to cross in the face of any cricketer or team official at the on-going ICC World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. The entire contingent’s moods are at the lowest point ever after a 59-run defeat to Canada condemned Uganda on Sunday to demotion back to the ICC Division III.
That painful loss at the Bay Oval 2, Mount Maunganui ensured local body Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) missed out on a lucrative ICC High Performance Program (HPP) funding of $1m (Shs2.475b) which could have improved the sport’s standards in the country until 2017.
Team manager Andrew Othieno was left mulling another underhand batting display condemned Uganda to a fifth successive defeat in the road to the 2015 ODI World Cup.
While there were several consolatory messages and mixed reactions from the fraternity allover social media, skipper Davis Karashani’s silence was enough to tell the atmosphere in camp. “The mood is down here in camp is so low,” Othieno said. “We had two atrocious umpiring decisions today (Sunday) but then also, our senior players also played feebly and overall, it was a disappointing performance.”
In the same line UCA Honorary Secretary Jackson Kavuma was left a lot more dejected. “The boys have not put in the best of their shifts. There have been several excuses whenever the team has failed to perform.”
Uganda will now face Nepal in the ninth-place play-off early on Tuesday morning.
ICC WORLD CUP QUALIFIER SUNDAY’S RESULTS
Play-off 1 – Nepal 171/9 Netherlands 172/3 (Netherlands won by seven wickets)
Play-off 2 – Uganda 171/10 Canada 119/1 (Canada won by 59 runs after D/L Method)
TUESDAY’S FIXTURES – (12.30AM) – AT MOUNT MAUNGANUI
Seventh place play-off: Netherlands vs. Canada (Bay Oval 1)
Ninth place play-off: Uganda vs. Nepal (Bay Oval 2)