Opening bowler Irene Alumo and opening batter Proscovia Alako have been left out of the Victoria Pearls squad set to travel to India on Wednesday.
The Victoria Pearls in their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers scheduled for April in Dubai will hold a 12-day training camp at the I Can We Can (ICWC) Omtex Academy in India, but the two national team mainstays have been dropped.
Patricia Malemekia, another mainstay has also not been given the nod. While the trio miss out, all-rounder Phionah Kulume, top order batter Gloria Obukor, and Sarah Walaza earn their places back.
Kulume was a shocking omission last year in December during the Africa Qualifiers held in Entebbe while Obukor last played for the national team in April 2023 at the Capricorn Series in Namibia.
For Walaza, her last engagement with the national team had been before the Covid era. But the trio return as the Global Qualifiers near.
A new face has also been added to the team, and it is Soroti Academy’s Immaculate Nandera who will be making her national team debut in India.
Dual Focus: World Cup Qualification and All Africa Games Glory
The Victoria Pearls will not only be preparing for the Global Qualifiers, they will also be readying themselves for the All Africa Games set for March 5-14 in Ghana. It will be the first time in the games’ history that Cricket will be played.
Speaking to the UCA media, Lawrence Ssematimba, the Victoria Pearls head coach emphasised on how this tour will be helpful to his team as they prepare for both tournaments.
“The camp in India is helping us prepare for two events. Immediately we return from India, we shall connect to Ghana for the All Africa Games and thereafter the T20 Global Qualifiers in Dubai.”
“We struggled with our batting in December during the qualifiers and that has been our main focus as a group, we hope to use the experience in India to work on the players’ techniques to make sure we start to be confident in our batting.”
“The players have the ability but the application has been missing and once we get this sorted we should be able to push for the Gold medal at the All Africa Games and a World Cup place at the qualifiers in Dubai.”
Ssematimba and his team will be hoping to do better than the Cricket Cranes who lost seven out of the nine games they played in India during their own preparations.
The full team
Consy Aweko (Captain), Janet Mbabazi, Kevin Awino, Immaculate Nakisuyi, Rita Musamali, Stephanie Nampiina, Evelyn Anyipo, Sarah Akiteng, Malisa Ariokot, Lorna Anyait, Phiona Khulume, Gloria Obukor, Sarah Walaza, Esther Iloku, Immaculate Nandera.
Courtesy Photos
