The Cricket Cranes will be short of firepower in the Namibian after Juma Miyagi was completely ruled out of the series. Miyagi’s comeback from injury only lasted four balls in the first T20 game of the series as the Cricket Cranes went down by 26 runs.
Miyagi has struggled with a back injury and missed the Continent Cup T20 in Nairobi to try and get him ready for the Castle Lite Series. He had clearly rattled the Namibians with his extra zip giving away just one run from his four balls but was all the team could get out of him and he will spend more time away to get his body repaired for the qualifiers in November.
The youngster has taken on the mantle as the leader of the bowling attack for the Cricket Cranes since his U-19 World Cup performance. He had worked on his game so much by adding runs to it with some hitting down the order becoming an asset for the team.
The back issue bothered him in his early days and didn’t bowl so much at the U-19 qualifiers in Rwanda in 2021 but he made a good recovery to ensure that he was injury free for the whole of 2022 despite the workload of a World Cup, two challenge league B qualification rounds, Africa Cup and EA T20 Cup later in the year plus his local club duties.
A very committed player, Miyagi should be back very soon and the sooner that happens the happier Brian Masaba his captain will be.
Joseph Baguma has been picked out of Nyakasura School to replace him as the Cricket Cranes will be trying to come back from one down in the series. The off-spinner has some senior experience having been part of the Africa Cup and EA T20 Cup winning teams last year. He will fly out tonight to join the rest of the team in Namibia.
Miyagi returns back home with Simon Ssesazi and Henry Ssenyondo who lost their mother yesterday. The two brothers have been replaced by Fred Achelam and Pius Oloka who will be making his senior debut.