Visa bombshell leaves team in disarray
Karashani during a recent national team fielding session at Lugogo. Photo by Eddie Chicco
What you need to know:
. The top two sides in the event have a chance to earn promotion to Div. II.
The mood in the men’s national cricket team is sombre following news that they might miss the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division III tourney starting April 28 in Bermuda due to visa hitches.
“The time we have put in is the biggest loss,” team captain Davis Karashani said after Daily Monitor broke the story that the British High Commission had denied the team transit visas. The team had a gym and swimming session at Hotel Africana in the morning but coaches Martin Suji and Steve Tikolo were forced to call off afternoon training due to low morale in camp. “May be we can get a lifeline from somewhere. The blow (visa) has left our preparations in disarray,” Karashani added.
Elsewhere, Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) officials spent a large part of the day in closed-door meetings with necessary authorities hoping to reach a conclusion that will help avert the situation and ensure the team travels for the global showpiece. If the team doesn’t travel, it will hurt UCA both on and off the oval.
Financially, the association stands to lose the Shs0.7m they had paid for each of the 20 members of the touring party for the two visas (UK and Bermuda), a percentage on each of the Shs5.8m tickets and all the money spent on preparing the team.
