Dues Muhumuza believes the Victoria Pearls are heading into the 2026 Victoria Series in good shape, with the Uganda women’s cricket team looking fitter, stronger and better prepared to defend their title on home soil.
The head coach is encouraged by the players’ progress in training and says their growing understanding of the game has given him confidence ahead of the November 6-14 tournament at the Entebbe Cricket Oval.
Uganda will face Namibia, Rwanda and the United States in the four-nation competition, which offers the hosts a chance to defend their crown while collecting valuable T20 international ranking points.
“The players are fitter, the players are stronger, the players have raised their game awareness. Even the team’s position is quite good. They have kept the momentum moving up, and everything has been spot on,” Muhumuza said.
The coach revealed that preparations have focused on improving the players’ physical strength while building on the team’s existing patterns of play.
With the bat, the focus has been on range hitting, while the bowling unit has worked on adding more variation to its existing line-and-length approach.
“We maintained what we’ve been doing with the patterns, just adding in a lot more strength work and the range hitting. With the bowling, we again added something. They have moved from just line and length, hitting it more and using variations,” he said.
For Muhumuza, the Victoria Series is not just about winning another trophy. It is also an opportunity to see how much the team has improved and identify what needs to be done before next year’s major assignments.
Uganda will face three different opponents in Entebbe, giving the technical team a chance to assess the players under competitive conditions.
“That’s something we have done. We look forward to the tournament, which gives us the best assessment of the players, how they are and how far they’ve come,” Muhumuza said.
“As I said before, it’s an opportunity for us to assess ourselves and know exactly where we are. The teams are good, and I give them an opportunity for the next year, which is big for us.”
The tournament comes at an important time for the Victoria Pearls as they prepare for a busy calendar leading into the 2027 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier finals.
Uganda will also be looking to make the most of the ranking points on offer, although Muhumuza insists that sticking to the team’s plans remains the priority.
“Still, it’s a ranking tournament. We look to take the opportunity to collect some points. Most importantly, we follow our process and make sure our team plans are followed. It gives us the best assessment after each game,” he said.
“We don’t have any injuries.”
That clean bill of health is another positive for the coach, who credited strength and conditioning coach Allan Otim and physiotherapist Imam Tugume for keeping the players fit throughout preparations.
“The strength and conditioning coach, Allan Otim, and the physio, Imam Tugume, have done a great job. They have made sure the players are kept on their toes, and they are free from injuries. We expect it to remain like that even after the tournament,” Muhumuza said.
All-rounder Janet Mbabazi will continue as captain as the Victoria Pearls seek to build on their historic triumph at the Capricorn Series in Windhoek earlier this year.
Experienced players Naume Amongin and Kevin Awino return to the squad after missing the Namibia tour, while the biggest talking point is the inclusion of Australian-based batting all-rounder Kampi Nainhabo.
The 23-year-old is in line to make her international debut after progressing through the Cricket Victoria Female High Performance Academy. She also plays for Melbourne Cricket Club and follows in the footsteps of her father, who previously represented Uganda in cricket.
The trio replaces Phiona Egaru Kulume, Jimia Abdallah Muhammed and Irene Mutonyi in the main squad.
The final 14 players are captain Janet Mbabazi, Stephanie Nampiina, Proscovia Alako, Ritah Musamali, Esther Iloku, Immaculate Nakisuyi, Kevin Awino, Malisa Ariokot, Sarah Walaza, Naume Amongin, Consylate Aweko Nimungu, Sarah Akiteng, Asumin Akurut and Kampi Nainhabo.
Phiona Egaru Kulume and Lorna Anyait have been named as reserves.
Muhumuza defended the selection, explaining that the final squad is chosen according to the players’ condition, performances and the team’s needs, with both immediate and future demands taken into account.
“We always select the best 14. It depends on the condition, it depends on team performance, and again, team plans. Current, not just short term, but also long term,” he said.
“At any moment, we select the 14 that is our best 14.”
With preparations going according to plan and no injury concerns, the Victoria Pearls will now look to turn their progress into results when the tournament bowls off in Entebbe on November 6.