The Cricket Cranes are back on the road, chasing another World Cup ticket with belief and purpose. On Thursday, the team was flagged off to South Africa, the first stop on a journey that will end in Harare, Zimbabwe, where the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers run from September 26 to October 5.
This trip carries a familiar mission—qualify for back-to-back World Cups. Uganda made history in 2023 when they stunned Zimbabwe in Windhoek to earn a first-ever ticket, later celebrating their debut win against Papua New Guinea at the 2024 edition in the West Indies. Now, they want to prove it wasn’t a one-off.
The build-up has been intense. A 12-day bootcamp in Jinja sharpened both skills and unity, mixing gym sessions, match simulations, and recovery routines. From there, the focus shifted to South Africa, where the Cranes will face strong sides like the Titans and Lions between September 14 and 17. These trial games are designed to stretch both batsmen and bowlers before the squad heads to Harare on September 18.
Uganda’s Group B fixtures in the qualifiers will pit them against hosts Zimbabwe, as well as Tanzania and Botswana. It’s a tricky pool, but the Cranes believe their blend of experience and youth can carry them through.
The travelling squad brings back left-arm spinner Henry Ssenyondo, adding balance to an already competitive unit. He joins captain Riazat Ali Shah, veteran all-rounder Frank Nsubuga, and dependable performers like Dinesh Nakrani, Alpesh Ramjani, and Robinson Obuya. Also on the roster are Raghav Dhawan, Juma Miyaji, Shrideep Mangela, Cosmas Kyewuta, Sumeet Verma, Gaurav Tomar, Cyrus Kakuru, Joseph Baguma, and Innocent Mwebaze.
