Uganda’s Cricket Cranes have departed for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the decisive final leg of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B, knowing three victories from their remaining five matches will secure next stage to the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualification pathway.
Uganda heads into the August 8-18 tournament unbeaten after recording eight wins and two no-results in the opening two legs of the competition.
The Cricket Cranes top the six-team standings with 18 points, two ahead of second-placed Italy.
Head coach Steve Tikolo insists his side will not be distracted by qualification calculations despite knowing three wins would be enough.
“At the back of our minds, there is that three wins, but personally I would want to take it one game at a time. I’ve also spoken to the boys about it, but we would also want to win all our five games,” Tikolo said.
“When you do that as a team, you usually send a very strong statement to the world and to the opposition. We want to be clinical and win all matches.”
Captain Riazat Ali Shah echoed his coach’s ambitions, saying Uganda is targeting a perfect finish rather than simply qualifying.
“We want to go all in, and we want to win all the games,” Ali Shah said.
“Our goal is to get ODI status, but first we have to finish the league.”
Uganda enters the final leg with confidence after defeating every other team in the competition at least once. However, Ali Shah warned against complacency.
“They also have their own goals. They will also fight,” he said.
The matches will be played at the newly constructed ESTIM and NTS grounds at the University of Dar es Salaam Complex, meaning all teams will have to quickly adapt to unfamiliar conditions.
Tikolo said the warm-up matches would be crucial in assessing the pitches.
“Being new grounds, I wouldn’t speak much about them, but the good thing is when we get there, we have warm-up games that will give us an insight into how the wicket will play,” he said.
“The previous Tanzania wickets were slow, with low bounce and favouring spin, but now we cannot go with that because these are new grounds.”
Uganda’s squad blends experienced campaigners with emerging talent, with Ali Shah highlighting the importance of exposing younger players to high-pressure international cricket.
“For the future, it’s good to go with a couple of youngsters in the major tournaments. They will know how they can handle the pressure,” he said.
He also expressed confidence in the balance of the squad, pointing to the experience of players such as Raghav Dhawan, Sumeet Verma, Alpesh Ramjani, Kenneth Waiswa and in-form opener Simon Ssesazi.
Italy remains Uganda’s closest challenger, while Hong Kong China also remains in contention for qualification. Tanzania, Bahrain and Singapore are out of the race for the top two places but will still be aiming to end their campaigns strongly.
Uganda opens its Challenge League B campaign against hosts Tanzania on August 8 before facing Italy, Hong Kong China, Singapore and Bahrain.
Uganda Squad
Riazat Ali Shah (captain), Kenneth Waiswa (vice-captain), Juma Miyaji, Fred Achelam, Cyrus Kakuru, Dinesh Nakrani, Joseph Baguma, Henry Ssenyondo, Sumeet Verma, Simon Ssesazi, Alpesh Ramjani, Cosmas Kyewuta, Gerald Olipa and Raghav Dhawan.
Non-travelling reserves: Mathew Musinguzi and Robinson Obuya.
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