Uganda’s Victoria Pearls will make a second appearance at the Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers in Abu Dhabi following their maiden appearance in 2018 in the Netherlands where Uganda finished sixth out of eight countries.
The current squad has six players who were part of the European invasion. Team captains Janet Mbabazi, Consy Aweko, Kevin Awino, Stephanie Nampiina, Immaculate Nakisuyi and Rita Musamali have plenty of experience at this level.
The ladies will also be playing under the lights, something that could pose a challenge for them but so will the other teams playing under the same conditions.
The 10-team event will only see the two teams meeting in the final qualifying for the World Cup in Bangladesh later in the year.
Uganda is in Group A alongside Scotland, the USA, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Uganda is ranked 8th out of the 10 teams in the tournament. They will have to upset the odds for them to find a way of making it into the final.
Here is the profile of the final 15 players and what is expected from each in Abu Dhabi.
Janet Mbabazi (Caps:71, Shirt Number: 19, Role: Batting All Rounder)
Jaanet Mbabazi Credit: John Batanudde
Janet Mbabazi has been vice-captain for the side since 2017 and it’s been a long time coming for her to step up. The 2022 female cricketer of the year has had her stock rising for the last three years during which she has become a pivotal player of the side. She has now been added the responsibility of leading the side and you hope it does not take away her contribution to the side. The team missed her runs in Ghana at the African Games and she has failed to make an impact at the number 4 position, the technical team must think about pushing her up the order for her to make an impact. While she has missed the runs, she has made great contributions with her bowling. Her slow medium pacers have a trend of breaking partnerships and picking up key wickets. If Mbabazi can step up and perform, the Victoria Pearls will push for a World Cup slot.
Rita Musamali (Caps: 77, Shirt Number: 6, Role: Batting All Rounder)
Ritah Musamali Credit: John Batanudde
Rita Musamali struggled for form post-Covid but at the Qualifiers in Entebbe last year, she stepped up when the team was on the ropes with both ball and bat. She won the female cricketer of the year 2023 and that growth impressed the technical team to make her the vice-captain of the side. A very competent player, Musamali is very important to the side if they are to do well, especially with the bat. In a fragile batting line-up, her runs will be very important to the cause because she runs well between the wickets and has a wide range of shot selection to survive out in the middle. She bowls with an angle and she has been the one to dry up the runs in the middle orders with her nagging line bowling. If she is interested throughout the tournament, Uganda will also be interested.
3. Consy Aweko (Caps: 74, Shirt Number: 23, Role: Bowling All Rounder)
Consy Aweko Credit: John Batanudde
Aweko is the most capped player on the side with bags of experience, the kind of player that Janet Mbabazi will be counting on in push moments. Her attitude in the group will be important, especially now that she has just lost the captaincy. However, she is a competent player with over 100 wickets to her name and the side will be counting on her to enforce things in tough battles. She is also a handy contributor with the bat down the order in case she is required to score some runs.
4. Immaculate Nakisuyi (Caps: 59, Shirt Number: 74, Role: Batting All Rounder)
Immaculate Nakisuyi Credit: John Batanudde
One of the most skilled players on the side and when she is in the mood, she plays some eye-candy cricket. She has been given the extra responsibility to bowl and she is settling into the role perfectly. Her ability to bowl a decent quota means that the side can play an extra all rounder instead of a bowler. She was pushed up the order to try and utilize the power play overs but she hasn’t made a splash at the top and a drop-down should be considered for her to be impactful. She will be one of the key players for the team if they are to advance.
5. Stephanie Nampiina (Caps: 57, Shirt Number: 72, Role: Batter)
Stephanie Nampiina Credit: John Batanudde
The Don, as she is known by her teammates, is a special talent. She started as a leg spinner but she eventually grew into a reliable batter and one of the best fielders on the side. She knows how to control an innings by switching gears and she is one of the reasons Uganda is at the global qualifiers due to her performances in Entebbe. She bats at number four, a position that suits her style of play. Nampiina can control the innings as she gets better as the innings go along. She was AWOL at the African Games in Ghana and Uganda struggled without her runs. She is always positioned at point and is the kind to turn the game by taking a half chance.
6. Kevin Awino (Caps: 67, Shirt Number: 13, Role: Keeper/Batter)
Kevin Awino Credit: John Batanudde
Kevin Awino is reliable behind the stumps and what has been missing for her is the runs. She was removed from the top of the order but there has been no impact down the order. She is a competent player who needs the trust of the side to deliver with the bat, shuffling her through the lineup has not helped but once she has the team’s back she will score runs. Her command behind the stumps will be important for Janet Mbabazi who sometimes fields at the boundary, she was the captain of the team at the maiden global appearance in the Netherlands and her experience will be an addition to the team.
7. Evelyn Anyipo (Caps: 57, Shirt Number: 36, Role: Bowler)
Evelyn Anyipo Credit: John Batanudde
Evelyn Anyipo has fallen out of favour and never got a game at the African Games in Ghana but that is mostly because of the new team approach. The decision to use more all rounders left her vulnerable but her extra pace and lines are her assets as she can be a good enforcer at the top of the innings and she will be ready whenever the team needs her.
8. Phiona Kulume Egaru (Caps: 41, Shirt Number: 38, Role: Batting All Rounder)
Phiona Khulume
A very confident player and one who knows how to play under pressure. She missed the continental qualifiers in Entebbe but has managed to work herself back into the starting XI. One of those players who have benefited from the new approach to use more all rounders, she can bowl decently if required and is also a very reliable fielder. She knows how to back her skills at the back end and if she can hold her nerve, she has the ability to win games for Uganda.
9. Lorna Anyait (Caps: 13, Shirt Number: 15, Role: Bowler)
Lorna Anyait Credit: John Batanudde
Anyait is the next-generation player for the team. Since her debut at the Kwibuka Tournament last year, she has been a constant in the side. She fields in covers, a very high-traffic area, which makes her an asset in the field. She is no rabbit with the bat and can make some contributions down the order. She is a very reliable spinner and her ability to keep things tidy allows the side to manage the rate of runs being scored by the other team.
10. Gloria Obukor (Caps: 17, Shirt Number: 22, Role: Batter)
Gloria Obukor Credit: John Batanudde
Obukor has settled at the top of the order and her aggression allows the team to get them to quick starts. She is very confident and shows no fear even against good bowling attacks. She will have to fight to keep her place in the side and the only currency she needs is runs. She is one of the few batters in the side with no other burden apart from run-scoring.
11. Esther Iloku (Caps: 16, Shirt Number 3, Role: Batter)
Esther Iloku
Ilukor is the other keeper in the side but has been used as a batter in recent times. She has been batting at the top and she knows how to make the most of her skills. She is quick between the wickets and also very brave. She sometimes throws away her wicket but once she gets stuck in, she is an asset. She scores her runs quickly and that is what Uganda needs, especially at the top of the order.
12. Proscovia Alako (Caps: 43, Shirt Number: 70, Role: Batter)
Proscovia Alako Credit: John Batanudde
Alako is the only change in the side to the global qualifiers. She had lost her place after the qualifiers in Entebbe but the batting headache of the side got her back in the side with Immaculate Nandera was the fall person for her return. Her power game is still needed in the side but she needs to be consistent in her delivery. It’s very risky business if you are a batter in the team and she will need to cash in some runs for her to get a permanent place. The technical team just needs to find a place that suits her skill set so that she can be impactful.
13. Malisa Ariokot (Caps: 10, Shirt Number: 50, Role: Batting All Rounder)
Malisa Ariokot Credit: John Batanudde
The young prodigy is suffering under the weight of expectation for now and has been left on the bench in rest games. The technical team is still struggling to find a permanent place for her in the side but she will get her time in the sun. She is very agile in the field and can bat as well as bowl therefore if she gets her chance she is more than just words.
14. Sarah Akiteng: (Caps: 39, Shirt Number: 8, Role: Bowler)
Sarah Akiteng
The only left-arm spinner in the World who can’t find a place in the starting XI. Her consistency with her lengths is the challenge and if she could be more reliable, she can be an asset. She is currently back up to Consy Aweko and Lorna Anyait and unless the team plan changes, she will have to wait for either to put a foot wrong.
15. Sarah Walaza (Caps: 17, Shirt Number: 31, Role: Bowler)
Sarah Walaza Credit: John Batanudde
Walaza made her debut in 2019 in Zimbabwe but had to wait for so long to force herself back into the team. Once she got a chance, she made the most of it. She has stepped up in the absence of Irene Alumo and Evelyn Anyipo with the new ball and can also slog a few at the back end. Her ability to field well has also taken her stock up and helped her keep her place in the side. If she can set the tone of the game with the new ball, she will give the team a chance to keep things tidy with backup from others.
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