By Denis Musali 

Pascal Murungi from Nyakasura school has been handed the responsibility to lead a new look U19 side to the second edition of the starfield tournament in Nairobi. 13 players were selected to represent Uganda at the annual cricket festival with eight of the 13 new faces. 

The team was selected from the cricket playing regions of Jinja, Kampala, and Masaka, Jackson Ogwang is the team coach with Rokani Slyvester as the Team Manager. 

16-year-old Masaka SSS student Ronald Lutaaya who has grown up around the Kyambogo Cricket Oval has a story to tell, his father Mzee Sonko (RIP) was the first and only groundsman at the Kyambogo Cricket Oval for over 10 years before he passed and his mother is currently part of the ground staff at the University Oval. 

A natural cross bat due to his association with baseball, he picked up cricket four years ago and he has never looked back since then. He walked every day to come to Lugogo and take part in the Gnext holiday tournaments bowling with some tidy spin with a slightly bent elbow. The breakthrough for him was when he was picked up by Masaka SSS teacher and coach Yusuf Nanga who asked him to drop the spin and concentrate on being a solid opening left-hand batsman. The starfield tournament gives players like Ronald Lutaaya an opportunity to live the dream of playing for their country as well as travel out of the country with their peers. 

There is also a debut for Anas Baig a son of the former cricket cranes captain Akbar Baig. Joseph Baguma from Nyakasura a very talented off-spinner has another story to tell as he makes his debut for the U19 team. 

Uganda featured an U19 team in the 1st edition of the Star Field tournament during which the team reached the finals and this time they hope they can go all the way and win the U19 category. 

The second edition of the Star Field Tournament has attracted teams from Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa, Nairobi, India, and South Africa and this will prove to be a good test for the new-look side as they look to the 2021 U19 qualifiers. 

The 13 selected players to represent Uganda are;
1. Munir Ismail
2. Juma Miyaji
3. Ronald Puwata
4. Anas Baig
5. Lutaya Ronald
6. Ronald Omara
7. Fahad Mutagana
8. Joseph Baguma
9. Edwin Nuwagaba
10. Jaffer Ochaya
11. Pius Oluka
12. Pascal Murungi (Captain)
13. Akram Nsubuga

Coach: Jackson Ogwang
Manager: Rokani Sylvester

Photos by Mpalanyi Ssentongo.