Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) has name a select team to begin preparations for the forthcoming Gahanga Cricket Stadium inauguration tournament dubbed ‘Cricket Builds Hope’ scheduled for October 22-29 in Kigali.

Organizers have confirmed that eight teams will compete in the week-long tournament that will be hosted both at the new stadium in Gahanga and Kicukiro Cricket Oval, respectively. The eight teams include; a Uganda select team, Kenya U-19 and Rwanda select team, plus five teams from England, namely; Coutts, Eton Ramblers, Christopher Shale (Surrey), Grannies and Yorkshire Tea. Uganda national team coaches; Steve Tikolo, Jackson Ogwang and Michael Ndiko have summoned a squad of 16 players to kick off preparations. The team will be captained by Roger Mukasa with Brian Masaba as his deputy.

Teams will be divided into two pools; with Pool A comprising of Rwanda, Coutts, Eton Ramblers and Kenya U-19, while Pool B will have Christopher Shale (Surrey), Grannies, Yorkshire Tea and Uganda select team.

The top two from each pool will progress to the semi-finals—the final will be played on October 29.

Meanwhile, on October 28, there will be a celebrity match that will pit Brian Lara’s team against Michael Vaughan’s team.

Lara is a Trinidadian former international cricket player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest batsmen of all time and Vaughan is a former English cricketer, who was ranked one of the best batsmen in the world following the 2002/3 Ashes.

Gahanga Cricket Stadium has been under construction since June 2016, with the works being overseen by the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation (RCSF), an NGO that is registered in Rwanda and the UK.

RCSF patrons include former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and West Indies cricket great, Brian Lara.

Uganda squad:

Roger Mukasa (captain), Kenneth Waiswa, Arnold Otwani, Simon Ssesazi, Zephania Arinaitwe, Perry Wazombe, Derrick Bakunzi, Fred Achelam, Frank Akankwasa, Rogers Olipa, Steven Wabwose, Trevor Bukenya, Brian Masaba, Cosmas Kyewuta, Deus Muhumuza, Juma Miyagi.

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