Arinaitwe, Akankwasa relish learning chance at ICC High Performance Camp

Off To Potch. Arinaitwe (L) and Akankwasa fly out today. PHOTOS BY EDDIE CHICCO

KAMPALA. At the turn of November, Uganda’s cricket walked on egg shells after the nation was stabbed in cold blood, breathing to last place at the ICC World Cricket League Division Three in Oman.

With the changing ICC Associate nations’ cycle in line with the ODI World Cup, the Cricket Cranes set-up as well ought to revolve from the long-serving old guards to the new guns. To match that, Uganda Cricket Association CEO Martin Ondeko last month received an invitation for U-19 pair of Zephaniah Arinaitwe and Frank Akankwasa to feature at the ICC High Performance camp in Potchestroom, North West, South Africa from January 14 - February 20.
Having beaten the visa hitches to the Rainbow Nation, Arinaitwe and Akankwasa depart tonight for the priceless experience with other selected talents from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Botswana for the month’s camp.

“They have been rewarded for performing consistently over the last 18 months and we would like to further develop them,” read part of the letter by ICC Africa’s Kuben Pillay.
Primed to be the country’s batting lynch-pin, Arinaitwe was thrilled by the selection. “I earned this call through my hard work. I did my job. scoring runs over the last months,” said a smiling Arinaitwe prior to departure. “I plan to learn a lot of things and I want to prove to them that I can do what I have learnt. I target to score as many tons, if there are matches to play,” added the 17-year-old.

He is in familiar company of Akankwasa. “I hope to learn many things especially my confidence and polish my skills especially batting,” stated the all-rounder.
Akankwasa is captain of the Baby Cricket Cranes who have already started preparing for ICC U-19 Africa World Cup Qualifiers scheduled for March this year in Nambia.

AFRICA ACADEMY 2019
Uganda Players:
Frank Akankwasa, Zephaniah Arinaitwe,
Participating Countries:
Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya,
Mozambique, Botswana and Uganda.