Cricket Cranes to gauge themselves against UAE and Oman

Qatar quadrangular-series
UAE, Uganda, Oman & Malaysia

The inaugural Elite T20 Cricket League may have been overwhelmed by a week of foul weather, but local cricket body UCA will have no time to linger on lost opportunities.

Preparations for the upcoming Cricket Cranes trip to Qatar should be all-engrossing. The four-day visit to the Emirates starting November 14  will see Uganda take on UAE and Oman, two sides who should pose much tougher questions than Uganda's top stars encountered in the T20 Elite Cricket League, as well as Malaysia. Naturally, UCA are anxious to cover their bases, fearing a beat-down for the out-of-rhythm Cranes.

"We want to prepare the team well so that we don't get embarrassed," UCA communications boss Denis Musali told New Vision Sports.

"Our boys haven't been playing so to come out and take on ODI teams, who are much more prepared, is going to be very tough."

The four-team, week-long Elite T20 affair is the first competition Ugandan cricketers have had since the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed in March, so the weather - which led to the abandonment of games, including Saturday's final between the Aziz Damani Scorpions and Royal Varsani Bucks - could not have chosen a worse time to play spoiler.

However, these setbacks will simply have to be taken in stride, along with the many others from this lost season, by new Cranes coach Lawrence Mahatlane when he starts making his player-assessments and strategies for the Qatar challenge. The South African is due in the country next week, but expectations will have to wait long after the UAE visit.

Uganda's performance in Qatar might, however, give Mahatlane an idea of how much work awaits him in getting the Cranes back to something resembling their impressive pre-lockdown form.