Brian Masaba will captain Uganda in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, their first appearance in a senior men's ICC World Cup in any format. Masaba leads a squad of 15 that includes 43-year-old Frank Nsubuga, an offspinning allrounder who is set to be the oldest player in the tournament ahead of Oman's Mohammad Nadeem and Naseem Khushi, both of whom are 41. Riazat Ali Shah, who was born in Gilgit in Pakistan and moved to Uganda at the age of 16, has been named vice-captain, while Ronald Lutaaya and Innocent Mwebaze are the two travelling reserve players. Uganda's squad has five changes to the 17-player group that oversaw their progression to the T20 World Cup from the Africa qualifiers last year. Wicketkeeper Cyrus Kakuru, seamer David Wabwire, batter Pascal Murungi and experienced left-armer Jonathan Ssebanja have not made the cut while Lutaaya is in the reserves. Fred Achelam, who was Uganda's wicketkeeper at the Africa Games in Ghana earlier this year, will take the gloves while allrounder Juma Miyagi and medium-pacer Cosmas Kyewuta have been included in the squad.

The selections were reward for members of the team who reached the semi-finals of the African Games, where they lost to Namibia. At that tournament, Ugandan players dominated the run and wicket charts as three of the top five run-scorers - Roger Mukasa, Simon Ssesazi and Dinesh Nakrani and two of the three leading wicket-takers - Alpesh Ramjani and Miyagi - came from their camp. Robinson Obuya, who is also in the T20 World Cup squad, had the highest strike-rate at 190.90 albeit from only two innings. Simon Ssezazi is also Uganda's all-time leading T20I run-scorer and the only batter from his country with more than 2000 T20I runs to his name, while his brother, left-arm spinner Henry Ssesyondo, is their leading wicket-taker in the format and six away from becoming the first Ugandan to 100 T20I wickets. Uganda travel to the T20 World Cup under a new coach, Abhay Sharma, a former Indian first-class cricketer who was fielding coach for the Indian Under-19, A and women's teams. He joined them last month for training sessions in Uganda.

The squad is currently in Sri Lanka, completing a two-week training camp that includes matches against the Sri Lankan A and Army side, as preparation for their biggest assignment to date. Uganda are in Group C at the T20 World Cup, along with Afghanistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and West Indies, and play their first match against Afghanistan in Providence, Guyana on June 4. Uganda squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Brian Masaba (capt), Riazat Ali Shah (vc), Kenneth Waiswa, Dinesh Nakrani, Frank Nsubuga, Ronak Patel, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Bilal Hassun, Fred Achelam, Robinson Obuya, Simon Ssesazi, Henry Ssenyondo, Alpesh Ramjani, Juma Miyaji.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan