Top of the Table, Hungry for More: Uganda Names Challenge League B Squad for Dar es Salaam Battle
Uganda have unveiled their final 14-man squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Captain Riazat Ali Shah leads a balanced squad combining experience, youth and all-round quality as Uganda aims to maintain their unbeaten run and strengthen their qualification push.
The Cricket Cranes have taken another significant step in their 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) qualification journey with the announcement of a strong 14-man squad for the upcoming ICC CWC Challenge League B tournament in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Uganda heads into the August 6 -19 assignment with confidence, momentum and a clear objective – to maintain their position at the top of the Challenge League B standings and strengthen their push towards the next stage of the global qualification pathway.
The Cricket Cranes have enjoyed a remarkable campaign so far, sitting top of the table with 18 points from 10 matches after eight victories and two no-results (NR) across the opening two legs. Leading Uganda’s charge once again will be Riazat Ali Shah, who retains the captaincy after playing a key role in guiding the team through an unbeaten campaign.
The tournament will bring together six teams in Dar es Salaam, with Uganda facing hosts Tanzania, Italy, Hong Kong China, Singapore and Bahrain in what promises to be a defining stage of the competition.
Squad Built For Conditions, Competition & The Future
The final squad reflects Uganda’s growing strength in depth, combining proven international performers, emerging talent and players who have earned selection through consistent performances.
Chairman of Selectors (CS) Nehal Bibodi says the squad was chosen after careful consideration of form, balance, conditions and Uganda’s long-term plans.
“We have a lot of quality in the set-up now. We purely selected the squad based on current form and future planning after discussions with Head Coach Steve Tikolo.”
“The coach had earlier met with members of his technical team, reviewed performances and we arrived at a group that we believe is best suited for this assignment.”
One of the key talking points from the selection is the inclusion of Gerald Olipa, who earns his place ahead of experienced campaigner Robinson Obuya.
Bibodi stressed that the decision reflects Uganda’s future planning rather than a reflection of Obuya’s quality.
“Gerald Olipa is in for future planning ahead of Robinson Obuya and not because Robinson is not good enough. Robinson remains a quality player who has contributed a lot to Uganda cricket.”
Another selection battle came in the batting department, where Sumeet Verma earned his place ahead of youngster Anas Baig after an impressive run of form.
“Sumeet makes the cut because of current better form. Anas has also been impressive throughout the year, which shows the healthy competition we now have.”
Experience & Balance Key To Tanzania Conditions
With Tanzania expected to provide challenging surfaces, the selectors placed significant emphasis on versatility and bowling options. Experienced fast bowler Bilal Hassun narrowly missed out, with the technical team opting for a combination that suited the expected conditions.
“Bilal is an experienced and quality fast bowler, but we have many medium pace bowling all-rounders. The technical team thought Tanzania will offer slower bowling wickets, so we went with two fast bowling options in Cosmas Kyewuta and Juma Miyaji.”
The squad also sees the return of Kenneth Waiswa into a leadership role as vice captain. Waiswa’s experience, calm approach and all-round ability were considered valuable assets for the Tanzanian conditions.
“Kenneth has been a good leader in previous years and we will need his all-round abilities in the tournament on the tricky Tanzania wickets.”
Waiswa was vice captain to Brian Masaba and Deus Muhumuza during South African coach Laurence Mahatlane’s reign in 2021-2023.
Preparation Built Through Exposure And Competition
The Tanzania campaign is the result of months of structured preparation by the Cricket Cranes. Uganda began its build-up with a Tour to Namibia earlier this year, followed by a High Performance Tour to India a month ago, before returning home for intensive preparations through domestic competitions.
The team has benefited from; National Championships, Elite League franchise competitions, Inter-Squad matches, match simulations as well as specialist batting and bowling sessions
Under Head Coach Steve Tikolo and Assistant Coach Jackson Ogwang, the focus has been on creating a side capable of adapting to different conditions and handling pressure moments.
Players Put Hands Up As Competition Intensifies
Assistant Coach Jackson Ogwang believes the final squad represents players who consistently delivered when given opportunities.
“Quite a number of players put their hands up through training sessions, match simulations and trial matches. The 14 have come out from the performances they produced in the matches they played, the tours and the tournaments we have had at home through the leagues.”
Ogwang highlighted batting development as one of Uganda’s major areas of focus ahead of Tanzania.
“We wanted to get our batting game together. We want to go to Tanzania and make sure we score runs. We have put a lot of emphasis on batting skills, game simulations and game situations that will help us pile up runs when needed.”
He added that the squad is physically and mentally prepared.
“The team is in good spirits. There are a few small knocks in camp, but that is being worked on. By the time we fly out, the boys will be ready to represent.”
Captain Calls For Consistency
Captain Riazat Ali Shah believes Uganda’s preparation has put the team in a strong position ahead of the Tanzania challenge.
“We are very excited to play this tournament because we are topping the table. We have been working for a couple of months, especially for this tournament, and as a camp we have ticked all the boxes.”
The skipper says the team understands the importance of maintaining consistency.
“The boys are looking sharp. They have been scoring runs, taking wickets and playing the way we want them to play.
“Our goal as a team is to win the tournament. We want to stay top, remain unbeaten and also progress.”
Riazat also believes Uganda’s experience playing in different conditions will be crucial.
“We have played on slow wickets and bouncy wickets, so we are good to go. We want to play our game the way we have been playing. We have beaten all the teams in this tournament and we want to continue that.”
Eager To Maintain Dominance
Uganda enters Tanzania after completing the second leg of Challenge League B in Hong Kong unbeaten last year. The Cricket Cranes collected maximum points from the campaign, winning four matches, including a hard-earned 59-run victory over Tanzania in their final fixture.
The success has been built around; consistent team performances, strong bowling displays, improved adaptability and match-winning contributions across the squad
One of the standout performers has been Raghav Dhawan, whose consistent contributions have underlined Uganda’s growing batting depth.
The Cricket Cranes now turn their attention to Dar es Salaam, carrying the confidence of an unbeaten campaign, the backing of a nation and the ambition to continue Uganda’s rise on the global cricket stage.
TEAM UGANDA SQUAD
Riazat Ali Shah (Captain), Juma Miyaji, Fred Achelam (Wicket-keeper), Cyrus Kakuru (Wicket-keeper), Dinesh Nakrani, Joseph Baguma, Henry Ssenyondo, Sumeet Verma, Simon Ssesazi, Alpesh Ramjani, Kenneth Waiswa (Vice Captain), Cosmas Kyewuta, Gerald Olipa & Raghav Dhawan
Non-Travelling Reserves: Mathew Musinguzi & Robinson Obuya
TEAM UGANDA ITINERARY
Thursday, August 6: Arrival in Tanzania
Friday, August 7: Practice Session/ Managers, Captains and Coaches Meeting
Saturday, August 8: Uganda vs. Tanzania – UDSM – Ground 1
Tuesday, August 11: Uganda vs. Italy – UDSM Ground 2
Wednesday, August 12: Uganda vs. Hong Kong, China – UDSM Ground 2
Saturday, August 15: Uganda vs. Singapore – UDSM Ground 1
Tuesday, August 18: Uganda vs. Bahrain – UDSM Ground 2
Wednesday, August 19: Return To Uganda
Note: All matches will bowl off 9am (EAT)
CURRENT CHALLENGE LEAGUE B STANDINGS – AFTER TWO ROUNDS
Team M W L N/R Pts NRR
1. Uganda 10 8 0 2 18 2.005
2. Italy 10 7 1 2 16 2.914
3. Hong Kong , China 10 5 3 2 12 -0.436
4. Bahrain 10 4 5 1 9 -0.325
5. Tanzania 10 1 7 2 4 -1.549
6. Singapore 10 0 9 1 1 -2.024
N/R denotes No Result, NRR = Net Run Rate, Pts = Points
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