Time is not on their side. It was only a month ago that the Uganda Cricket Board appointed former Indian first-class cricketer Abhay Sharma as the new head coach of the men's national team.
“There's very little time to relax, it's going to be a very intense preparation,” Uganda captain Brian Masaba said.
Masaba, 32, has already won accolades for his performances.
In mid-May, the International Cricket Council ranked him as the second-most successful captain in T20 international matches (44 wins from 56 matches) behind Pakistan's Babar Azam.
“If we win two World Cups it will be a big bonus for us but what is more important to me is the platform it gives to the country of Uganda,” Masaba said.
“So, as an ambassador for cricket, it's important that I represent the country in a good light and the way to do that is to go out and play good cricket.”
Uganda, known as the “Cricket Cranes” after its national bird, will be playing in a World Cup for the first time, having previously competed in the 1975 ODI World Cup as part of a joint East African team alongside Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
Cricket was first introduced to the region by British colonial settlers in the late 19th century and became popular among the large numbers of Indian labourers brought to work on the East African railways.
Juma Miyagi, 21, said he hopes Uganda's appearance in the World Cup will not only give a boost to Ugandan cricket but also help propel his own international career.
“It means a lot to us,” said Miyagi, who has been with the Cranes for two years. “We have very high expectations for the World Cup.”
Miyagi grew up in Naguru, a Kampala slum town on a hillside overlooking the cricket ground.
“I come from the slums,” he says, “and I want to play in one of the biggest leagues in the world and help my family. We've struggled in every way.”
Miyagi, who was interested in tennis before switching to cricket, said he hoped qualifying for the World Cup would be a “big opportunity” to attract more young people like himself to tennis.
Veteran cricketer Frank Nsubuga, the 43-year-old all-rounder and father figure to the team, played his first international match in the 1997 ICC Trophy.
“I've been playing for the last 27 years and I'm very excited to have qualified for the World Cup,” said Nsubuga, who will be one of the oldest players in the tournament. “It's a dream come true.”
The 54-year-old Sharma did not want to be talked about his strategy for Uganda's World Cup matches or reveal who he considers to be the team's star players.
However, he said he draws on his own international experience, which includes coaching India A, India U-19, Indian women's cricket team and the Delhi Ranji Trophy team.
“We're taking it step by step,” Sharma said. “We're working on improving their skill sets, we're working on improving their mindset.”
He was also cautious about Crane's future.
“Fan expectations are out there,” he added. “We have to be realistic.”
“This team is young and a rising star in world cricket, but they are in good form and expectations are high.”
