CRICKET: Trial time for Uganda's U 19s

The U-19 national men's cricket side are ready to "challenge" their hosts during a five-day tour to Zimbabwe that starts Friday, says skipper Kenneth Waiswa. 

"Even though we have not prepared well because we are at school," explained the Kiira College S.6 student during today's flag-off ceremony at Lugogo, "We will give them a challenge because most of our players play in the (national) league." 

Waiswa and co were invited to Zimbabwe to take part in a three-team trial event that will also feature the U-17 and U-19 Zimbabwean sides. Uganda are preparing for next year's U-19 World Cup qualifiers and UCA chief executive Justin Ligyalingi explained that this is one of the initial build-up steps. 

"We have a partnership with Zimbabwe, in which we receive cricket support in four separate areas, with one of them being in under age cricket," said Ligyalingi. 

"We need this Zimbabwe event because our qualifiers are going to be very tough. We've got Namibia and Kenya in there and that obviously means we have to play very well to finish first and secure automatic qualification". 

Uganda have participated in two U-19 World Cups, in 2004 (Bangladesh) and 2006 (Sri Lanka). The West Indies are the current holders of the 18 year-old biennial U-19 World Cup, which has been won a record three times by Australia and India. 

The team was flagged off by NCS official David Katende, who urged the boys to "go and learning something and not just enjoy".

They fly out tomorrow morning.