Kampala, Feb 9 (IANS): The Uganda men’s cricket team will be visiting Sri Lanka for a 14-day training camp as they continue to prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, to be held from June 1-29 in the West Indies and USA. Uganda are in Group C alongside co-hosts West Indies, Afghanistan, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in what is their first-ever participation in the showpiece event, after winning the Africa leg of the tournament’s qualifiers.
The team will play seven T20 matches in Sri Lanka against select sides during their time in the country and will be based in Galle from February 10-23. “The plan is to give the boys more game time against tougher opposition and also to fine-tune them in terms of skills development and maintenance ahead of the next phase of our preparations which happen to be T20Is.”
“It is also important that we start finding the right combinations by batting and bowling certain players in different situations to test their progress. Sri Lanka just like India gives the batsmen the opportunity to face faster and swing bowlers considering that we are gonna face more quicker pacers than we have been facing,” said Jackson Ogwang, Uganda’s interim Head Coach, in a statement.
Last month, the Uganda team travelled to Saphale in Maharashtra for 12 days and was based at the Omtex ICWC Cricket Institute, where they played nine matches against the academy’s senior men’s team and Mumbai A Division. In terms of the squad for the Sri Lanka preparatory camp, Juma Miyagi has made a good recovery from the back injury that has kept him out since April last year and he is included in the 15-man squad.
Alpesh Ramjani and Bilal Hassun who missed the India tour also make the final travelling squad. Fred Achellam, Ronald Lutaaya and Innocent Mwebaze keep their places in the team after putting in solid performances on the India tour.
Uganda team: Roger Mukasa, Simon Ssesazi, Robinson Obuya, Fred Achellam, Dinesh Nakrani, Frank Nsubuga, Brian Masaba (Captain), Alpesh Ramjani, Kenneth Waiswa, Ronald Lutaaya, Kakuru Cyrus, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Juma Miyagi, Innocent Mwebaze
Officials: Jackson Ogwang (Head Coach), Tusiime Steve (Team Analyst), Shamim Nassali (Physiotherapist), Emmanuel Oroma (S&C Coach) and Charles Waiswa (Team Manager).