Uganda cricket team to train in Sri Lanka

Kampala, May 15 (IANS):

Uganda’s national cricket team has been invited for a tour to Sri Lanka after the east African nation put up an impressive show at the just concluded World Cricket League Division III in Bermuda.

Justine Ligyalingi, the chief executive of the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) told Xinhua here Wednesday that the invite also follows a visit to Uganda by the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Ligyalingi said the Sri Lankan government has accepted to host Uganda’s cricket team and also send coaches to help impart cricket knowledge.

“We are hoping that the Sri Lanka tour will help us prepare for the Twenty20 World Cup qualifier in Dubai in December and the World Cup qualifier in New Zealand in 2014,” said Ligyalingi.

He said that although Uganda qualified for Division II, the team still needs to finish among the top eight in the World Cup qualifier in New Zealand in January in-order to qualify for the $350,000 grant that will run for three years.

“Playing in a top cricket playing nation like Sri Lanka will be a big opportunity for us to go and learn new skills and also get our team ready for the two big World Cup qualifiers,” team captain David Arinaitwe Karashani said.