WCL: What is at stake?

Kamal Shahzad and company will aim for Division Two at the end of the 10-day ICC WCL Div3 tournament. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO

KAMPALA- Charles Waiswa admitted that “there is pressure playing at home” while captain Davis Karashani thinks “it’s a huge responsibility” for the Cricket Cranes.
Overall, the ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament getting underway today is a tournament that Uganda cannot afford to fail.
Uganda, the top ranked side among the six here by the ICC, must finish among the top two to earn promotion into WCL Championship.
But, what exactly does Uganda stand to benefit from doing a precise job over the next week?

World Cup
The 2019 World Cup features 10 teams, a decrease from the previous 14 that played at the 2011 and 2015 editions.
Host England, and the top seven other teams in the ranking as of September 30, 2017, will earn automatic qualification.
The rest will be decided at the qualifying tournament next year in Bangladesh. This means that at least two Test playing nations will play in the qualifying tournament.
Are you a dreamer? If yes, read this carefully. First, a Test nation could miss the World Cup for the first time.
Secondly, promotion will mean that Uganda joins UAE, Scotland, Papupa New Guinea, Hong Kong, Kenya, Netherlands, Namibia and Nepal in the WCL Two Championship.
These, plus the lowest ranked test cricket playing nations will play in the World Cup qualifying tournament in Bangladesh with the top two going to England in 2019.

ODIs guaranteed
One of the biggest dampeners to local cricket is the lack of international exposure as players face the same opponents again and again.
Most of the players in the current side, nine of the 14 named by coach Steve Tikolo have been part of the side for at least eight years, describe each other brothers.
“We are a family. We are brothers. You can actually see one another three times a week and 2-3 players can be playing at the same club,” Waiswa said.
While that’s a good thing, Ugandan players need to be exposed to more adversity. Climbing a step will guarantee that as the next tier bring One Day International (ODI) cricket.
The WCL Championship is played on home and away basis which means Uganda will have eight ODI series to contend with and the game here will be better for it.

Money, Money , Money
Uganda must finish among the top two to secure its status as an ICC High Performance Programme (HPP) nation to attract increased funding from the ruling body.
Three years ago, relegation meant that Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) missed out on a lucrative ICC High Performance Programme (HPP) funding of $350,000 (Shs876m).
When UCA had this kind of funding, national team players were contracted to play for Uganda, a key tenet in shedding the amateur nature of sport here.
This week represents an opportunity Uganda cannot miss. Good luck!