Uganda being at the Cricket World Cup is a watershed

The biggest game in the history of Ugandan cricket was played yesterday when the Cricket Cranes lost to Afghanistan by 125 runs in the West Indies.

This is at the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup that is being co-hosted by the USA. While playing at this stage is a realization of a long-term dream for all the Cricket Cranes players, it is a demonstration to many a Ugandan cricket fan of a sport on the rise, presumably. But is it indeed the case?

“Qualifying to play at an ICC World Cup is a big deal for any cricket-playing nation. And seeing how much work has been put in by this team over the last four years, getting to the World Cup is a worthy prize to them. But on whether Ugandan cricket has come of age because of that, time will tell,” Martin Ondeko, a former chief executive officer of the Uganda Cricket Association, said.

Ondeko played at the 2004 under-19 cricket World Cup in Bangladesh alongside Immanuel Isaanez and Hamza Saleh, among others. This was followed up by the 2006 under-19 cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka, another one that Uganda competed in. Davis Karashani and Dennis Musali were some of the members of that team, which together with the previous World Cup side promised a lot.

Yet, it did not turn out that way. Ugandan cricket has been through the troughs experiencing a lot of lows than highs over the last twenty years. And it is reasonable to note that Karashani embodies what cricket has been all about during that time.

Appointed captain in 2011 at the ripe age of 24, Karashani should be at this World Cup as a number of his former teammates are. Yet, he decided to leave it all a couple of years ago, to concentrate on his career.

Regarding this World Cup, he said: “There is a lot we can leverage on as a nation from this World Cup. We can learn what the more established teams do to be consistent. By showcasing our qualities, we can attract more corporate attention. But at the same time, we can secure more lucrative deals for our players, to play in the big club tournaments.”

In addition, Ondeko said playing against the best in the world, can only make the players better. But at the same time, having the right infrastructure to allow more youngsters to come through and play, is one area that the state has to invest in, Ondeko reasoned.