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Future Cricket Cranes want to sharpen blades in India
Juma Miyagi (in yellow) is a product of the U-19 Baby Cricket Cranes. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
The Farm has offered an all-paid expenses trip from May 13-25 to the side tutored by Emmanuel Isaneez and his assistant Robinson Turinawe.
Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) has so far realized a number of varying positives from the crop of players who grace the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in West Indies last year.
The Future Cricket Cranes competed at this global championship for only the third time but a return to the stage after a 16-year wait.
Juma Miyagi, Brian Asaba, Ronald Lutaaya, Pascal Murungi, Edwin Nuwagaba among others have since taken it a notch higher to find space in the senior side.
Such a growth has built top teams like India, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Namibia among others.
To be frank, Uganda’s progress in the quest for a One Day International (ODI) partly stalled because the vehicle lacked new oil and occasional servicing. The set-up had relied on the same generation of players from the 2004 and 2006 ICC U-19 World Cup shows.
Fast forward, to maintain this growth curve, UCA has sent a training squad of 16 players to Sanjay Farm in Gujarat, India for a camp ahead of the regional ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Tanzania due July.
“This is a true commitment to their promise to help us improve our development teams,” UCA operations manager Joshua Mwanja said of Sanjay.
The Farm has offered an all-paid expenses trip from May 13-25 to the side tutored by Emmanuel Isaneez and his assistant Robinson Turinawe.
“We have been taking them through physical, technical, tactical, and mental aspects that will help the process of preparation,” said Isaneez, who played the 2004 and 2006 Youth tournaments in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka respectively.
“India is known for producing quality spinners in the game of cricket so this is a good platform for our boys to learn more. Of course, we are also looking at developing the competitive mind-set and positive smart cricket,” he said.
The side captained by Fahad Mutagana will play six 50-Over matches and one T20 contest at the Mohanlal Desai Cricket Ground. During their spell, they will work in sessions with a specialized batting coach Hemal Vatekar.
Mutagana and seven others were part of the squad which took to the West Indies. From Chikhli, the team will continue preparations in Kampala before facing Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia and Kenya from July 23-29 in Dar es Salaam for one slot to next year’s World Cup in Sri Lanka.
FUTURE CRICKET CRANES - TEAM TO INDIA
Players: Fahad Mutagana (Captain), Anas Baig, Pius Oloka, Christopher Kidega, Yunusi Sowobi, Ronald Omara, Joseph Baguma, Majid Musa, Conrad Lubwama, Gerald Olipa, Jonathan Nyiiro, Jaffer Ochaya, Peter Ocen, Abdul Aziz Tandia, Ali Balidawa, Brian Asaba
Officials: Emmanuel Isaneez (Head Coach), Robinson Turinawe (Assistant Coach), Richard Okia (Analyst), Habiba Anguyo Kulusumu (Physiotherapist), Slyvester Rokani (Team Manager)
