Mukasa under pressure to perform

By Charles Mutebi

THERE is losing form and then there is Roger Mukasa.

Twelve months ago, he was marking four years of his unofficial reign as Uganda’s best batsman. 

Now he is just a portrait of the ruthless nature of cricket, a dark visitation that can reduce the best bowlers and batsmen into a laughing stock.

Mukasa returned 14 runs in Uganda’s two warm-up matches for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier against a Whakatane XI as team-mates Abraham Mutyagaba and Hamza Saleh hit a century and 88 runs respectively.

For a player who managed a total of 38 runs in seven innings at November’s ICC T20 World Qualifier in UAE, Mukasa’s performances against Whakatane were a needless reminder of his predicament.

Above all, they were the worst possible start for his New Zealand campaign. For, the longer Mukasa goes without a big, pressure-relieving score, the harder it becomes for him to snap out of his rut.

The longer Mukasa struggles, the more confidence he shreds and a batsman without confidence is a lion without teeth. 

National coach Johan Rudolph knows Mukasa is a special talent and he told New Vision, “You don’t become a poor batsman overnight. I am confident Mukasa will recover his form.” 

The question is, will that recovery come in time to save Uganda from Kiwi heartbreak?