Coach Steve Tikolo trusts his final 14-man squad can do the job and finish in the top when Uganda hosts the ICC World Cricket League Division Three showpiece next month.
“This is a journey that started with 31 players in August last year,” Tikolo said while announcing the side earlier this week at Lugogo.
“We invested lots of hours in training, in the gym and trimmed it down to 20 players.
It was therefore a very tough job dropping anyone and selecting the final 14 but we looked at attendance in training, how one trains, discipline, team relations and the performances in the series.”
After a tough selection headache, the Kenyan legend Tikolo settled for a team that will be led by captain Davis Karashani for the May 23-31 event at Lugogo, Kyambogo and Entebbe ovals.
Karashani returns to the folder after a 23-month sabbatical having retired after the ICC WCL Division Two showpiece in Namibia in 2015.
The KICC bowling all-rounder makes a comeback alongside left-arm paceman Charles Waiswa, Lawrence Ssematimba, HamuKayondo and Roger Mukasa.
The entire quintet missed the ICC Africa Twenty20 Championship back in August, 2015 in South Africa. Karashani regains his armband from Brian Masaba, the latter who drops to the assistant’s position.
Irfan Sahibzada is a debutant on the side having had a brief stint on the South Africa tour under Johan Rudolph in 2013.
“I have the confidence and a very strong feeling that we will do Uganda proud with the lads selected.” Tikolo added.
Uganda will be up against USA, Canada, Oman, Singapore and Malaysia. The six nations will face off in a round-robin format and the top two will qualify for the ICC WCL Division Two.
TEAM UGANDA: Davis Karashani (captain), Brian Masaba (vice-captain), Arthur Kyobe, HamuKayondo, Roger Mukasa, Arnold Otwani, Kamal Shahzad, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Charles Waiswa, Deus Muhumuza, Jonathan Ssebanja, Irfan Sahibzada and Lawrence Ssematimba
RESERVES: NaeemBardai, Lloyd Paternott, Emmanuel Isaneez and David Wabwire