From the oval to courtroom - Karashani’s resilient journey

Had to grow up fast

Born Davis Arinaitwe Karashani 38 years ago, his childhood was far from ordinary.

The sudden passing of his father when Karashani was barely out of his teens thrust him into a position few young men could imagine.

He was at the 2006 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka — his second after Bangladesh two years earlier — when the unfortunate news filtered through.

Former Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) CEO Justine Ligyalingi was leading the team in Sri Lanka and made sure the teenager was not hit by the devastating news while away.

Karashani, the team’s vice-captain at the time, sensed something was off when Ligyalingi and then captain Hamza Saleh held a meeting without him, which was rare.

He rubbed it off and even went on to play the team’s final game before they returned to Kampala. He only got to learn the news of his father’s passing while back home.

“I remember receiving the news and feeling overwhelmed,” Karashani recounted on The Game Of Life podcast, a show that dives deep into athletes' life stories of struggles and triumph.

“It was tough, especially because I was young — only about 18.”

Karashani knew life had irrevocably changed. “I was the eldest and had to take responsibility. It wasn’t just about me anymore; it was about my siblings, my family.

“I was born Arinaitwe Davis Karashani, but after my dad’s death, I was obligated to take up his father’s name — Karashani — as my surname, to carry on the lineage and legacy.”

To some, this tragedy could have broken them down. But to young Karashani, this moment of grief ignited a fierce determination within him.

“It made me grow up fast,” he said. “It was a heavy burden, but it shaped me. I had to be a leader, not just on the cricket field but at home too. Losing dad was the toughest thing, but it made me who I am.”

Rise to the top

And he never let go of the game he so loveS. In fact, after this tragedy, he went all in. Cricket became more than a game for Karashani — it was a calling.

Starting as a promising young talent at Ntare School, where he was immediately the captain and made heads turn during the famous Schools Cricket Weeks, it was clear he was destined for greatness.

Soon, Busoga College Mwiri — a powerhouse in schools cricket —  came calling. It is here he honed his craft under legends like Kenneth Kamuka, and his leadership qualities flourished.

But it was at Wanderers Cricket Club, one of the country’s cricket jewels, where his big break came — thanks to none other than Ugandan cricket icon Sam Walusimbi.

It was Sam Walusimbi — then Wanderers club boss and a revered figure internationally, having played for East Africa at the 1975 ODI World Cup — who first spotted promise in the teenager and handed him his senior club debut. 

Walusimbi later threw him straight into the deep end, making him captain of the national team at just 18.

“At 18, I was captain of the national team,” Karashani said proudly. “It was overwhelming, but I thrived on that pressure. The guys I led were legends — it wasn’t easy, but they respected that I was a thinker of the game.”

Over a 12-year international career starting in 2005, Karashani’s captaincy was marked by bold decisions, fierce loyalty to his teammates, and standing up for player welfare — even when it cost him his captaincy.

“I led a players’ strike because we felt the contracts didn’t reflect our worth. I lost my captaincy for it, but eventually, the players got a pay rise. It was worth it.”

Though he officially retired in 2015, he was coaxed back by then coach Steve Tikolo in 2016 before finally hanging up his boots after a difficult relegation loss to the USA in 2017.

“That game was bitter,” he admitted. “But I had to take responsibility. After that, law school and family took precedence.”

Karashani remains loyal to his beloved Wanderers — returning to the club in the twilight of his playing days to help shape its next generation.

Near-death skirmish brings him to Law

His pivot to law came through a harrowing encounter in Kween District, Eastern Uganda.

While leading a survey team, Karashani and his colleagues were - according to him - attacked by locals suspicious of their mission.

“We nearly got lynched,” he recalled. “An old man stopped the mob, but the experience stayed with me.”

What added insult to injury was discovering that the law firm which hired his team was paid three to four times more than his survey crew — despite the danger they endured, wading through waist-high swamps with heavy equipment.

“That was a light bulb moment,” he said. “I needed to climb the food chain.”

Karashani, who is also a certified Human Resource consultant, enrolled in Law School at Makerere University, sacrificing more cricket to chase a new dream.

“I went back to school, studied hard, and now I’m a practicing advocate at Greystone Advocacy alongside some of Uganda’s top judges.”

Family at the heart of his life

Through it all, family remains Karashani’s anchor. He is a father to three children, whose births are woven deeply into his cricket journey.

“My firstborn came while I was on national duty in South Africa. My last son was born just days after my final game for Uganda,” he said warmly.

For him, fatherhood is the most important innings yet. “Being a father is a job I cannot afford to do poorly. Everything else can fail, but I must excel at this.”

Preparing for life after sport

The multiple national champion — with seven league titles across different clubs at last count — knows all too well that the clock is always ticking for any sportsman.

“Sport has a lifespan — usually about 10 years if you’re lucky. You have to understand that and prepare early.”

Karashani wants athletes to pursue education and develop skills in coaching, analysis, physiotherapy or administration.

Wanderers and giving back

He still turns out for Wanderers, although he admits it’s now less about chasing honours and more about giving back to the game that gave him so much.

“I want to move into sports administration and continue contributing to Uganda’s sporting landscape.”

Karashani even once vied to become UCA CEO — a role he felt prepared for. He didn’t get it but he holds no bitterness.

“I didn’t get it, but that’s part of the journey. Serving sport in any capacity is a privilege.”

Looking ahead

Today, Karashani sits on the executive committee of the Uganda Badminton Association — continuing to learn, lead, and add value wherever sport calls.

“Sport in Uganda is still growing, but the National Sports Act and increased professionalism give me hope.”

With law, sports, family and community as his pillars, Davis Karashani’s journey continues — a remarkable story of resilience, leadership and a legacy born from loss but defined by vision.

You can watch Davis Karashani’s full story on The Game Of Life with Andrew Mwanguhya on YouTube.

Karashani in a flash

Name: Davis Arinaitwe Karashani

Age: 38

Profession: Advocate at Greystone Advocacy; HR consultant; sports administrator

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (LDC)

Sports: Former Uganda Cricket Cranes captain, Wanderers CC player, ExCom member — Uganda Badminton Association

Family: Father of three — Kwezi, Kwera, Kwega

Milestones: Playing at 2004 & 2006 U19 Cricket World Cups, ICC Intercontinental Cup, the ICC World Cup Qualifier, the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, and the World Cricket League.

Clubs played for: Wanderers, Tornado, KICC

Honours: 7 national titles

Current club: Wanderers.

Cricket Cranes set up: 2005-2017