Uganda pull out of Kwibuka, all cricket action suspended

The Lady Cricket Cranes take a stroll inside the Lugogo Sports Complex before their flagoff ceremony to Kigali for the Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament on June 2. PHOTO | EDDIE CHICCO

What you need to know:

  • Second Wave.  The latest wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has not spared Uganda Cricket Association, the Lady Cricket Cranes in particular, grovelling as several tests returned positive cases that forced UCA’s decision.

Two-time champions Uganda will miss the seventh Kwibuka Women’s International Twenty20 Tournament in Kigali, Rwanda after the coronavirus gripped the 21-man travelling contingent.

This paper has learnt that at least eight individuals including three technical team members returned positive Covid-19 tests and last night’s flight to Kigali was duly cancelled.

“Since they were in the bio-bubble and were in camp with the rest of the players, it means that there was contact and we have to disintegrate the team so they go home and isolate,” Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) CEO Martin Ondeko broke the news yesterday.

“We were really pushing hard to play this tournament as it has a ranking status but unfortunately, we have to bite the bullet and call it off,” he said.

All had appeared during the official team flag on Wednesday at Lugogo with stand-in skipper Naomi Kayondo receiving the national flag from National Council of Sports (NCS) general secretary David Katende in company of UCA chairman Michael Nuwagaba and Ondeko.

Earlier signal
The Lady Cricket Cranes’ players present even posed for pictures but the alarms could have gone unnoticed when coach Suraj Karavadra didn’t turn up, with murmurs indicating that he was ill. The British Indian coach was represented by his assistant Alpha Adowa and development manager Davis Turinawe.

It means that Kwibuka T20s, which bear an ICC ranking, will be scaled down to five teams with Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria and Botswana flying into Kigali.

Uganda, winners in 2014 and 2016, had been pooled with Rwanda and Botswana in Group A but tournament organizers could turn the event into a round-robin format. 

Back here, the impact of the positive test results is encompassing. Ondeko says the game will take a break to manage this spell where Uganda is undergoing a second wave of the pandemic.

“We have forthwith cancelled all cricket until further notice; including the recently started Men’s Twenty20 League and Cricket Cranes as well as U-19 Boys training a forthwith. Our plea is that everyone goes into self-isolation for at least 10 days,” he added. UCA states that its board will be meeting the Ministry of Health (MoH) and National Council of Sports (NCS) to craft a way forward.

The pandemic has struck again at a tough period for UCA where national teams have big tournaments in sight - the biggest being the ICC Men’s World Cricket Challenge League B round two in Jersey due September.

UCA STATEMENT
Sad. Unfortunately due to some Covid-19 positive tests within the Lady Cricket Cranes bio-bubble, we have been forced to bite the bullet and cancel their trip to Kigali at the 11th hour. A comprehensive investigation will be taking place as to how this situation came about. At UCA, we pride ourselves in the way we have managed our SOPs. We have a proven track record in managing our space as justified by the men’s trip to Namibia.

KWIBUKA T20 TOURNEY 

TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK
Edition: 7th
Dates: June 4-13
Venue: Kigali, Rwanda
Participating Countries: Rwanda, Namibia, Nigeria, Botswana and Kenya
Title holders: Tanzania (2019)