Cricket Cranes embrace intense preparations in Galle

Securing a spot in the World Cup was a monumental achievement for the Cricket Cranes, and now they are faced with the challenge of proving themselves on the global stage. Rest has become a luxury for the senior men's national cricket team since they earned their ticket to the West Indies & USA by finishing second in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in Windhoek last November.

Following a rigorous 10-day boot-camp along the banks of the River Nile at the Nile Explorers in Jinja, the Cricket Cranes swiftly transitioned to a 12-day preparation camp in Saphale, Mumbai, at the I Can We Can (ICWC) Omtex Cricket Institute. The camp included nine T20 matches, one of which was against the Ranji Trophy elite side - Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).

Seven T20s on card

Uganda has become a temporary home for the Cricket Cranes, who are set to make their debut at the 'Big Dance.' Over the weekend, they arrived in the Pearl of the Orient - Sri Lanka for further World Cup preparations, where they will engage in seven T20 matches over 14 days against the highly-talented Sri Lanka Development Squad (SLDS).

The support from Sri Lanka Cricket, facilitated as a goodwill gesture following a request made by the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) through the Speaker of the Sri Lanka Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, when the honorable speaker attended the 27th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth held in Uganda from January 3-6, has proven invaluable. Hon Abeywardana visited the team during their Jinja boot-camp and shared words of wisdom at Jinja Secondary School.

UCA Secretary Jackson Kavuma emphasized the potential for ongoing collaboration with the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLCB) beyond the World Cup.

Grateful for gesture

“We are looking at benefitting from this Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLCB) collaboration beyond the World Cup,” said UCA Secretary Jackson Kavuma, who arrived in Asian nation last Thursday and has had three fruitful meetings with Hon Abeywardana, SLCB CEO Ashley De Silva and board president Atulugamage Shammi Shiraj Silva.

“Preparation tours, good games, training camps and free use of proper training facilities can be hard to access but in Sri Lanka we have found a willing big brother. Our boys are also going to get a chance to learn from legends like Jayasuriya, Malinga and Muttiah Muralitharan. We can only thank the Speaker and SLCB.”

Upon landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo, the Ugandan contingent embarked on a two-hour, 145km-road trip to the picturesque Galle, the home district of cricketing legends Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith Malinga, and Upul Chandana.

After a workout at the picturesque Galle International Stadium, the Cricket Cranes, under the guidance of coach Jackson Ogwang, gear up for their first T20 match today. The team welcomes back key players, including 2023 ICC T20I Cricketer of the Year nominee and Team of the Year squads man Alpesh Ramjani, swing bowler Bilal Hassun, and all-rounder Dinesh Nakrani.

Star-studded opposition

The SLDS will be captained by Nuwanidu Fernando who has played four One Day Internationals (ODIs) and one T20 International for the senior Sri Lankan side and also boasts of one half-ton in ODIs and a highest score of 126 in T20s.

Fernando is not the only one in the side with international exposure with nine other members familiar with the big stage having represented either the senior team, A side, Emerging XI, Development side or the National Men’s U-19 side.

The Ugandan team, based at Hotel J in Unawatuna, strategically located four kilometers from Galle International Stadium, aims to leverage high-performance amenities as they continue their preparations for the World Cup scheduled for June 4-30.

UGANDA SQUAD IN SRI LANKA

Roger Mukasa, Simon Ssesazi, Robinson Obuya, Ronald Lutaaya, Dinesh Nakrani, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Brian Masaba (captain), Cyrus Kakuru (wk), Juma Miyaji, Bilal Hassun, Henry Ssenyondo, Kenneth Waiswa, Innocent Mwebaze, Fred Achelam (wk)

SRI LANKA DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

Nuwanidu Fernando (C), Krishan Sanjula (wk), Ashen Bandara, Mohammed Shamaz, Dinura Kalupahana, Movin Subasinghe, Mithun Jayawickrama, Kavindu Nadeeshan, Malsha Tharupathi, Isitha Wijesundara, Nipun Premaratne, Tharindu Rathnayake, Ayana Siriwardena, Chamindu Wickramasinghe, Danal Hemananda