Karashani lauds tour of South Africa

By Charles Mutebi 

WHEN it comes to assessing Uganda’s 10-day tour of South Africa, captain Davis Karashani is quick to highlight the benefits. 

“Our expectations were met,” said the senior national cricket skipper. “The tour served its purpose - we were tested and we were left with a pretty good idea of where we are.” 

Uganda will take part in November’s ICC T20 World Qualifier in the UAE before travelling to New Zealand for the ICC Global Qualifier. A place at either the 2014 T20 World Cup or 2015 Cricket World Cup will be on offer for Uganda although the primary and more realistic target for Karashani and his men is a top-six finish at the New Zealand event. 

Yet if the national team’s performance in South Africa is anything to go by, putting a limiter on expectations may be a wise idea. Uganda won two of three one day games and six out of six T20 matches against teams that Karashani described as competitive. 

“These were professional sides that we beat,” argued the skipper, although he was quick to stress that this should not create visions of World Cup visions among Ugandan fans. 

“You know sport doesn’t work like that,” interjected Karashani. “Every game is different and you have to take it a step at a time.” 

The captain explained: “The tour gave us the assurance that our top order is not so bad. It showed that if our batsmen put their heads down, they can actually bat. The tour also showed that questions about our seam bowling are being answered. The return of Patrick Ochan has really strengthened our seam bowling department.  

“Ochan is much better than when he left the team in (2007). He is much fitter, as you would expect of someone playing in Australia.”