Arinaitwe ready for ICC T20 qualifiers

Feb 14, 2012

UGANDA captain Davis Karashani Arinaitwe believes his team can make “an impact” at next month’s ICC Twenty20 World Cup Qualifiers in Dubai

By Charles Mutebi

UGANDA captain Davis Karashani Arinaitwe believes his team can make “an impact” at next month’s ICC Twenty20 World Cup Qualifiers in Dubai following the official release of the final 14-man squad.

Karashani will lead the nation’s improbable quest for qualification to the T20 World Cup and is quietly confident about the chances of his very familiar side.

“We are not going to Dubai to just make up the numbers,” said the skipper. “We will be underdogs so the pressure will not be on us but we are going to make an impact.”

Not surprisingly, the selectors went with a largely unchanged side to the one that won the T20 Africa Trophy in December, making only two changes. In comes Asadu Seiga and Jonathan Ssebanja for Ivan Thawithemwira and Abdullah Lubega.

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The team led by Arinaitwe sing the national anthem ahead of the ICC T20 Division 1 final against Namibia in Kampala where Uganda emerged victorious.

“Asadu and Ssebanja have been brought in because of their all-round abilities,” Karashani explained. “And both have been on form for the last six months so this is rewarding them.”

Uganda will be among the youngest teams at the tournament but the bulk of this team has garnered a lot of high-level experience for the last four years. 

In Dubai, they will need to use all that experience to get into the latter stages of the competition that will guarantee World Cup qualification for the top two teams.

Teams include Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, Kenya, Afghanistan, Scotland, USA, Bermuda, PNG, Denmark, Italy, Namibia, Hong Kong, Oman and Nepal.

 

ICC T20 World Cup qualifiers

Dubai, 13-24 March

The squad: Roger Mukasa, Jonathan Sebanja, Arthur Kyobe, Frank Nsubuga, Benjamin Musoke, Lawrence Ssematimba, Deusdedit Muhumuza, Davis Arinaitwe Karashani (Capt.), Charles Waiswa, Brian Masaba, Arthur Ziraba, Asadu Seiga, Henry Ssenyondo, Ronald Semanda

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