Riazat Ali Shah to lead young side at T20 World Cup Qualifiers

• Tournament: ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers
• Host: Abuja, Nigeria
• Dates: October 18-26

Uganda’s Cricket Cranes will start their journey to the 2028 T20 World Cup in Abuja, Nigeria. The path to the global tournament has been complicated, but if you don’t win in Nigeria, the details aren’t important.

Uganda missed out on the 2026 World Cup, and that meant they have to start all over again from the regional qualifier.

Riazat Ali Shah will lead the side that has some young players who have been rewarded for their good form. Anas Baig and Gerald Olipa showed good form in Rwanda at the ILT20 Cup, and they earned places in their first major ICC qualifier.

Olipa won the best batter award in Kigali, and he is currently in Zimbabwe taking part in the NPL Blast. Baig has played for Uganda but not in an ICC event, and this will be his first real taste of being in a pressure cooker environment.

Robinson Obuya makes a return to the side after a great run at the ILT20 Cup in Rwanda, and his explosiveness at the top will be required if Uganda are to get off to great starts, while Charles Musemeza did enough in Rwanda to convince the selectors about his inclusion.

Musemeza comes into the side as a wicketkeeper option, and he might be the first option ahead of the more experienced Cyrus Kakuru. The lack of runs for Kakuru down the order has been his undoing, while Musemeza complements his run-scoring at the top with decent glove work.

Joseph Baguma and Alpesh Ramjani will offer the slow bowling options, and on slow wickets in Abuja, they will have their work cut.

Cosmas Kyewuta misses out due to injury, and in his place Enock Kasaija will share the new ball duties with Juma Miyaji.

Pius Oloka is a surprise inclusion, and he comes back in the side after his debut in Namibia in 2024. He has worked hard locally in the elite competitions, and his fielding and bowling could be the reasons he has been given a chance. In the absence of Dinesh Nakrani, he is a good T20 bowler who knows how to vary his lines and lengths.

The experienced trio of Raghav Dhawan, Sumeet Verma and Captain Riazat Ali Shah will have to do the bulk of the heavy lifting; Kenneth Waiswa should be the first all-rounder on the list, and his all-round play in Rwanda showed his value to the side, especially in the field.

Steve Tikolo is keeping most of the team from the ILT20 Cup, with a few additions to complement what he was able to work with.

The primary goal for Uganda will be finishing amongst the top two sides in Nigeria, but winning the whole tournament is equally important because they are the highest-ranked side at the tournament.

The other teams in the tournament are hosts Nigeria, Zambia, Mozambique, Gambia, and Lesotho.

Cricket Cranes Squad: Riazat Ali Shah (C), Kenneth Waiswa (VC), Robinson Obuya, Raghav Dhawan, Gerald Olipa, Sumeet Verma, Alpesh Ramjani, Pius Oloka, Anas Baig, Charles Mushemeza, Juma Miyaji, Joseph Baguma, Enock Kasaija.

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