Candiru, Nakisuyi eager to leave mark in England T20s
Pure Talent. Nakisuyi can destroy any batting line up on her day as she boasts of an array of strokes all-around the arc. Photo by Innocent Ndawula
What you need to know:
- This is a partnership between the ICC and ECB, aiming at providing exposure to teams outside the top-eight ranked sides who feature in the ICC Women’s Championship and make World Twenty20Is more competitive in the coming years.
Gertrude Candiru put up the MVP performance to help Team Uganda clinch the Africa Women’s Twenty20 title in Zimbabwe last year.
It meant the East African nation won the lone ticket to represent the continent at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier due July 7-14 in Netherlands.
Here, the top two of eight qualify for the World Cup slated for West Indies later in November.
Candiru was recently selected to be part of the 13-member ICC Women’s Global Development Squad that will help England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) prepare for West Indies. “I feel excited,” said Candiru. “It is an honour that I will be representing Uganda in Europe.”
The Aziz Damani captain will be with teammate Immaculate Nakisuyi when the squad also comprising two players from Ireland, the Netherlands, PNG and one each from Scotland and the UAE, takes on ECB Super League sides from July 15-21.
Surprise selection
“The selection was just a surprise to me,” said Nakisuyi, a senior six student at Jinja Secondary School. But Nakisuyi, who debuted for the Lady Cricket Cranes in 2013, wants to exploit this glorious opportunity. “My selection on that team doesn’t mean all is done, I am looking forward to putting in all that I can. My dream is to become a professional cricketer.
“If I perform well, I can easily be called upon by any club to go and play league games in different countries,” added the student who offers Geography, Entrepreneurship and Fine Art.
This is a partnership between the ICC and ECB, aiming at providing exposure to teams outside the top-eight ranked sides who feature in the ICC Women’s Championship and make World Twenty20Is more competitive in the coming years.
