GenNext cricket academy want to improve the game in the country
Davis Karashani (right) receiving an a Man Of The Match award for Team Uganda at a previous Internationa Cricket Council tournament. He is now retired. photo by ICC
KAMPALA. It’s almost a year since Davis Karashani hang up his bat and glove from the Cricket Cranes national side.
His Twitter handle bio now reads: ‘RED - Retired and Extremely Dangerous’. Of course, Karashani’s right-arm off-spin deliveries were always cumbersome for batsmen.
Actually, the Tornado B player still bothers them in the men’s topflight league. Beyond that, Karashani still wants to be involved in the sport.
Together with 2006 ICC U-19 World Cup teammate Denis Musali, the pair started the Generation Next Cricket Academy - first-ever cricket academy for the sport in Uganda.
“During our time,” Karashani told Sunday Monitor, “We went through structures that some of the kids today are missing,” he said at the launch of the GNext Challenge Youth League at Lugogo on Friday.
“GenNext is not only here to help develop and expose talents of youngsters but also mentor them with several counselling sessions.” Karashani added. “This tournament is here as a platform to allow youngsters showcase their skills in competitive environment,” GenNext’s Musali said. The GNext 30-Over Challenge will be played by four different sponsored franchises in a round-robin format until February 6 at Lugogo Oval. The best youth players, aged 15-23, have been grouped in ABC Samurais, Brookside Spartans, Blink Logistics and Lakhani Motor Titans under the guise of qualified coaches. The respective tacticians are Micheal Ndiko, Roger Mukasa, Jackson Ogwang and Alvin Bagaya.
Action got underway on Friday with more action lined-up today.
GNEXT 30-OVER YOUTH LEAGUE
Today’s fixtures
9am: BL Titans vs. ABC Samurais
2pm: Knights vs. Spartans
