By 
Zimbabwe proved once again to be an unforgiving hunting ground for the Cricket Cranes, as Uganda’s hopes of reaching their second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup fell apart in a disappointing African Qualifier campaign.
Having built some confidence after back-to-back wins over higher ranked UAE in the Pearl of Africa Series, Uganda arrived in Zimbabwe with quiet optimism.
But the tournament quickly turned sour.
Drawn in Group B alongside hosts Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Botswana, Uganda failed to get going.
The Cranes’ campaign began with a five-wicket loss to Zimbabwe.
Despite showing glimpses of promise, their batting at the death crumbled, and their fielding fell apart.
A target of 180 or more looked possible but never materialized, and the hosts chased down the modest total with ease.
Hope still lingered until Uganda suffered a shock defeat to Tanzania — a lower-ranked side.
Chasing just 128, the Cranes fell nine runs short in a match that all but ended their World Cup dream.
Though they bounced back to beat Botswana by eight wickets, and later secured convincing wins over Malawi (by 117 runs) and Nigeria (by 66 runs) in the playoffs, their fifth-place finish wasn’t enough.
In the aftermath of the Tanzania loss, Cricket Uganda Chairman Jackson Kavuma issued a statement urging calm and unity.
“This setback must not define our team,”
he wrote on behalf of the board, emphasizing the need for clear analysis and long-term strategy.
But the pressure told, and head coach Abhay Sharma stepped down after the tournament.
Zimbabwe has haunted Uganda before.
In 2022, it was Papua New Guinea who dealt the blow back then during the global qualifiers, chasing down a strong 160 with ease, led by Assad Vala’s unbeaten 93.
Déjà vu returned this year.
Despite the disappointment among Cricket Cranes fans, certain truths must be accepted: Uganda is not yet a regular World Cup team, and progress takes time.
The association is pushing the game forward, but new additions rarely shine immediately.
Performances were mixed—Sumeet Verma impressed with the bat, while Gaurav Tomer struggled with both bat and gloves.
Uganda’s bowling unit faltered on true-bounce wickets, with veterans like Henry Ssenyondo and Frank Nsubuga underwhelming.
Youngster Joseph Baguma showed promise but he needs time.
Meanwhile, homegrown talents Ronald Lutaaya, Robinson Obuya, and Cyrus Kakuru all struggled with the willow.
Now, the Cricket Cranes must regroup.
Difficult decisions lie ahead if Uganda is to return to the top tier of African cricket.
Focus now shifts to defending their IL Continental Trophy in Rwanda—a new chance, a new chapter, and perhaps, a chance at redemption.
