Nearly a fortnight ago, Uganda Cricket announced its squad for the Division III World Cricket League slated for May 23-31 in Kampala and Entebbe.
The squad has fourteen players and four reserves.
But who are the fourteen players that will represent the country in its pursuit for a place at the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales?
Full Name: Davis Karashani Arinaitwe
Born: April 20, 1987
Age: 30 years
Major teams: Uganda, Nile Knights, Uganda Under-19s, KICC, Tornado B
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak
Nickname: Skip
Karashani is the wise man on the team and there is no doubt he supports the black caps, for everything he lacks in talent he makes for a lot of it with his brain. In his second spell as Captain of the Cricket Cranes he is ready to inspire the team. His two amazing catches won Uganda the Africa T20 final against Namibia at Lugogo.
Full Name: Roger Galwanao Mukasa
Born: May 22, 1989
Age: 27 years
Major teams: Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors, Uganda Under-19s, Nile CC, Tornado B
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
Nickname: Papa
Roger Mukasa is the runs machine of the Cricket Cranes. Coach Steve has given him more responsibility by dropping him down to number 4 from his favorite opening slot. He was highest run getter for team Uganda in Malaysia in 2015 and his legion of fans will be gunning for him to score more runs in May. A humble Champion, Mukasa has been by far the best cricketer in Uganda for the last 4 years; he can bowl, keep wickets and score lots of runs. If he clicks, Uganda will have a very big chance for gaining Division II promotion.
Full name: Arthur Solomon Kyobe
Born: November 29, 1988
Age: 28 years
Major teams: Uganda, Nile Knights, Uganda Under-19s, JACC, Challengers
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Nickname: King Kong
Kyobe just like his nickname is a powerful lad, but power is nothing without control and Kyobe has a lot of control. He mixes aggression with some elegant stroke play. His cover drives are nice to watch but his power has also been his undoing as the tries to go after one too many. He is one half of Uganda’s opening batsmen and he will certainly open with his club mate Hamu Kayondo. Together they need to provide Uganda with a good start that our strong middle order and long tail can build on.
Full Name: Hamu Bagenda Kayondo
Born: March 9, 1990
Age: 27 years
Major teams: Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors, Uganda Under-19s, Wanderers, Challengers
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak
Nickname: Big Fish
Kayondo left his bank job in pursuit of a Cricket career and am certain he has no regrets. Hamu has worked hard on his game since his Wanderers days and today he is opening batsman number one for Uganda. He showed that he can be clever in his stroke play during the Kenya series win and this will greatly help team Uganda. He opens batting with his partner in crime Arthur Kyobe and their understanding on each other’s game will help them succeed.
Full Name: Franco Nsubuga
Born: August 28, 1980
Age: 36 years
Major teams: East Africa, Uganda, Tornado, KICC
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak
Nickname: Franco/Baresi
Nsubuga has been around the national team setup for the last 20 years, a veteran of sorts but a master of his skill. Franco is one of the best bowlers in associate cricket and he is Karashani’s go to man. He might have lost some agility but he is fit as ever and his power hitting at the end will be crucial in the quest for glory. He is one of the 3 brothers in the team, older brother to Roger Mukasa and Lawrence Ssematimba.
Full Name: Brian Masaba
Born: September 12, 1991
Age: 25 years
Major teams: Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors, Uganda Under-19s, Aziz Damani
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm fast-medium
Nickname: Yobra
Masaba is a captain in waiting and vice-captain of the team. Steve Tikolo handed the captaincy to Karashani to allow Masaba develop as a team player and grow in his role as an all-rounder. He has raised the level of his game from a bowler who can bat to a middle order batsman who can bowl a few when needed. Masaba has the safest pair of hands on the team and you will see him in the most crucial positions on the field.
Full Name: Lawrence Sematimba
Born: June 8, 1982
Age: 34 years
Major teams: Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors, Tornado B
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper
Nickname: Small Lion
Sematimba is the first choice wicketkeeper of team but he is struggling to pass a fitness test because of a nagging groin injury reason he missed the Kenya series. The small lion as he is known is one of the best players of spin bowling in the team. He is very useful not just as a wicketkeeper but also a wise head on the field that the captain can count on. He is the younger brother to Franco Nsubuga and big brother to Roger Mukasa.
Full Name: Arnold Otwani
Born: September 19, 1995
Age: 21 years
Major teams: Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors, Uganda Under-19s, Aziz Damani
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Legbreak
Otwani has developed from a young U19 prodigy to a more reliable batsman and handy wicketkeeper. It is clear Coach Steve Tikolo has had an influence on him. Otwani is somewhat a surprise inclusion but incase Lawrence cant pass the fitness he will be asked to keep wickets.
Full Name: Charles Waiswa
Born: December 29, 1987
Age: 29 years
Major teams: Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors, Tornado B
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Left-arm medium
Nickname: Wai
Wai as he is known by his teammates comes from a family that has served Uganda cricket so well, his elder brother Fred Isabirye was part of the U19 team that played in the 2004 World Cup while his sisters Justine Musubika and Hellen Naudo have both featured for the ladies national side. Charles Waiswa is entrusted with the new white ball for team Uganda. Waiswa has been there done that. He is one of the best swing bowlers in the country and his experience at bowling at the death is invaluable. Wai as he is popularly known is very decent with the bat and can launch some big hits at the end which could be crucial for the team.
Full Name: Jonathan Sebanja
Born: September 10, 1988
Age: 28 years
Major teams: Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors, Uganda Under-19s, Wanderers, Charity
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Left-arm medium
Nickname: Sepo
Sebanja shares the new ball with Charles Waiswa giving Uganda a left arm opening bowling combination. Sebanja has been patient and took time to get a place in the national side and now that he is here, he has made the most of his time having one of the best economy rates on the team. Sebanja has had a couple of semi-professional stints in the UK through his local club (Charity Cricket Club) connections. This opportunity has enabled him raise his game from just being one of the lads to being one of the most reliable players on the team. He is also a big hitter of the balls and when he hits them they travel miles.
Full Name: Henry Ssenyondo
Born: August 12, 1993
Age: 23 years
Major teams: Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors, Uganda Under-19s, Uganda XI, Wanderers, Challengers
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Slow left-arm orthodox
Nickname: Master Wong
Ssenyondo is the reigning cricketer of the year as voted by USPA; he led his side Challengers Cricket Club to second position picking up over 40 wickets last season.
Ssenyondo is quiet and does so with the ball keeping lots of batsmen very quiet. His ability to pile pressure creates panic and helps other bowlers pick up wickets. This mystery has made him one of the team’s most important players and if he has an off day Uganda can really suffer. His batting at number 11 is a disguise for someone who can open batting therefore he is very tidy with the bat as well.
Full Name: Deusdedit Muhumuza
Born: September 30, 1989
Age: 27 years
Major teams: Uganda, Uganda Under-19s, Wanderers, Tornado B
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm medium
Nickname: Baby
Baby as he is popularly known is a name he got from the legend Kenneth Kamyuka while coaching the school team in Busoga College Mwiri.
Muhumuza was a standout player in the just concluded Kenya series. His medium pace was hard to read for the Kenya batsmen and his agility in the field was a mark of a person who wears his heart on the sleeve. It will be a tough call for Steve Tikolo to keep him out of the starting XI but certainly Baby will be good to go anytime he is called upon.
Full Name: Ukani Shazhzad
Born: December, 12, 1985
Age: 32
Major teams: Uganda, Aziz Damani, Challengers
Batting style: Left-hand bat
Bowling style: Left-arm spin
Nickname: Shaz
Shahzad isn’t new to the Ugandan set up but still finding his footing with the senior side. His first tour was in 2016 in South Africa where he did admirably better than the Ugandan team campaign.
He won over Ugandan fans during the Takashinga series as his knock enabled Uganda chase a difficult 166 to win. He also showed his class mixing aggression with style to chase down a difficult target against Kenya during the Easter tour.
Shahzad and Mukasa will be required to score the bulk of the runs for team Uganda and everyone hopes he gets enough luck.
Full Name: Irfan Sahibzada Muhammad
Born: March 24, 1985
Age: 32 Years
Major teams: Uganda, KICC, Challengers
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Bowling style: Right-arm spin
Nickname: Lala
Afridi will be making his senior national team debut in a major tournament. He made his debut for the senior side in the Quadrangular series in Nairobi and since then Coach Steve has had a keen interest in his right arm mystery spin.
Lala as he is known by his mates likes to hit the ball a long mile, in the Kenya series he dropped a ball on the top of Copper Chimney and he is definitely going to be very reliable for the team.