Most often you experience what feels like a perfectly written script for a success story; a tale where the chips fall into place at the right time and in front of the right audience.
Serena Williams winning her 18th Grand Slam title – 19 days shy of her 33rd birthday in New York on the Arthur Ashe court to equal Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova’s records, and ultimately receive a $4 million payout – is one of those moments.
The Uganda Cricket Association (UCA), too, has started on a new script – or so they hope.
Albeit late, it is one UCA CEO Justine Ligyalingi believes has the ingredients to come good.
“This is all part of a turn-around,” he says, adding, “We need a new set-up, new brains and new coaches. A couple of new youngsters have (also) been brought into the national senior men’s team fold.
“We want to use this experience as a buildup series and take the opportunity to test the boys against some of the best sides in Africa.”
There are of course a couple of distinct entities in play but getting it all together in time for the ICC World Cricket League Division III in Kampala, Uganda between October 26th-November 2nd tops the priority list for UCA.
The boys have had a chance to eventually meet the new technical director, Peter Kirsten, and he will spend three weeks drumming in a “how to win” lesson.
Kirsten got off to an encouraging start going by the Africa Sixes Challenge where Uganda beat Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania and only lost to eventual tournament finalists South Africa and Kenya.
“We want to perform well and something to build on but the boys are under no pressure,” insists Ligyalingi.
Yet for anybody who cares about Uganda Cricket, it is almost impossible not to demand results from those charged with playing for the country in the midst of carefully borne familial assurance from the Association.
A dismal performance earlier this year at the ICC Cricket World Cup qualifiers in New Zealand, which saw Uganda lose all it games against Netherlands, PNG, Namibia, Kenya and ultimately to Canada, sealed Cricket Cranes fate.
The New Zealand adventure ended with Uganda dropping to Division III and with it went the ICC High Performance Program (HPP) funding of up to a tune of $1 million.
That capitulation in New Zealand takes some explaining. It surely was down more to technical deficiencies than addled minds.Or may be both but there is catharsis to be found in winning again, and at home, there will be no excuse for Kirsten and his boys.
“We are hoping we get some competition to complete this turn-around for the better,” said Ligyalingi. And that will be a silent prayer for all the concerned parties.
Already the signs are looking good; Roger Mukasa Uganda’s top batsman for over five years seems to have shaken off his jaded performances that overshadowed what was a terrible campaign all round.
“Every cricketer on earth goes through a bad patch,” Mukasa explains, “The key is not to let it define your game and keep working hard.”
And that hard work has started to show. Mukasa has played admirably to record his second century already in this season’s National Cricket League.
He found good form with the ball, too, but the key will be players performing their best as a unit.
With Frank Nsubuga taking over the skipper’s tag and a bit of twitching with the final squad that sees Arthur Kyobe, Hamu Kayondo, Arthur Ziraba and Daniel Ruyange return, there is some reason to be optimistic.
Charles Waiswa, Hamza Saleh, Richard Okia and Lawrence Sematimba have been excluded but there have been debut appearances for the young Kenneth Waiswa and Suleman Sharif.
Nsubuga will be hoping this team that includes former skipper Davis Karashani, who was adjudged player of the tournament of World Cricket League Division III in April 2013, can all form an experienced effective nucleus to win.
With only 40 days to the ICC World Cricket League Division III tournament in Kampala, UCA will be hoping the so called turn-around comes full circle to create one of those perfectly written scripts!
Uganda team in South Africa; Frank Nsubuga (captain), Brian Masaba (vice-captain), Roger Mukasa, Arnold Otwani, Daniel Ruyange, Deus Muhumuza , Jonathan Sebanja Arthur Kyobe, Davis Karashani, Hamu Kayondo, Kenneth Waiswa, Arthur Ziraba, Henry Senyondo and Sharif Suleman.
ACA Cup results September 8th-13th
Hosts;South Africa
Participating countries;Kenya,Zimbabwe,Namibia,Uganda,Tanzania
Monday 8th:
Kenya 306/5 in 50 overs beat Uganda 184/10 in 43.4 overs
Tuesday 9th:
Uganda 173/6 in 37.2 overs beat Tanzania 172/10 in 48.5 overs
ACA Cup fixtures September 8th-13th
Wednesday 10th: South Africa v Uganda
Thursday 11th: (rest day)
Friday 12th: Zimbabwe v Uganda
Saturday 13th: Namibia v Uganda