Teen Miyagi gets Mahatlane’s nod

Coach’s Men. Mahatlane (R) has rewarded players that have put the hard yards during the build-up tours and trial matches; including wicketkeeper Fred Achelam (L) and 19-year-old paceman Miyagi ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B in Uganda mid-next month. PHOTO/JOHN BATANUDDE & EDDIE CHICCO

What you need to know:

  • Chosen Ones. The national cricket team coach, yesterday, named his final 14-man squad and boldly selected teenager Juma Miyagi  and batsman Emmanuel Hasahya for their first ICC senior tourneys.

Laurence Mahatlane’s brevity has paid off most of the times he has chosen to pick from that bag. The national men’s cricket team coach yesterday named his final 14-man squad and he boldly selected teenager Juma Miyagi ahead of next month’s crunch ICC World Cup Challenge League B round two in Kampala.
The South African tactician has trusted Miyagi as one of his bowlers for the crucial tournament which is key to the Cricket Cranes’ progress to next year’s ICC ODI World Cup in India.

Born on April 5, 2003, Miyagi recently was the fifth best bowler with 13 wickets in five matches at the ICC Youth ODI World Cup played in the West Indies back in January.
Good prospect
“Jumiya (nickname for Miyagi) has always been a good prospect and he not only impressed in the World Cup but on the recent tour of Namibia,” Mahatlane said of his youngest choice.
From the team which lost 3-2 in the five-match Series during last month’s tour of Namibia, 13 have been kept with only Ronak Patel replacing Richard Agamiire.
“Performances and balance of the squad based on our game plan,” Mahatlane explained his selection yesterday. “Our all-round ability allows us to address different conditions,” he said of the team’s strength.

Miyagi

Top-order batsman Emmanuel Hasahya also surprisingly made the cut for his second straight Cricket Cranes’ job. “Hasahya has also worked hard to earn his spot in the group.”
It is the form with the bat that won Ronak a place. “Ronak has been exceptionally doing well and in the trial games, he has played in so far with scores 94, 69 and 48* in the league last weekend,” stated team manager Jackson Kavuma. Brian Masaba will lead the side against the five opponents beginning with the fixture against Jersey in Lugogo on June 17 with the final match against Kenya on June 26 at the same venue.

Five survivors
Masaba and his assistant Deus Muhumuza are among the five survivors from the squad that crumbled the home crowd’s under the weight of expectation during the botched mission of the 2017 ICC World Cricket League Division Three. The other two are veteran spinner Frank Nsubuga and orthodox bowler Henry Ssenyondo while Cosmas Kyewuta, Kenneth Waiswa and Frank Akankwasa have another opportunity to impress ahead of the ICC Global Twenty20 World Cup Qualifiers due July in Zimbabwe.
Akankwasa continues to lead a Select Side in the current Kaduna State’s tour of Uganda in a 50-Over match at Entebbe today.